


Ready! Steady! Go!

by MoxxieRusso



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Action/Adventure, Eventual Romance, F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 00:23:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14225079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoxxieRusso/pseuds/MoxxieRusso
Summary: The Elric brothers are searching for their future, but all Johanna Albrecht wants is her past.





	1. The Impossible Girl

**Author's Note:**

> Name: Johanna Albrecht  
> Age: 15  
> Appearance: Brown, curly hair and brown eyes, short, covered in strange tattoos.

It was cold, and Johanna was wet. She blinked once, twice, three times, before it finally registered that she was alive. Johanna felt herself from head to toes; she was, indeed, intact, and soaked from the rain. She tried desperately to remember where she came from, but the last thing she remembered was laying in her bed, and suddenly, nothing.

“Oh god!” Johanna grimaced, suddenly feeling sick, bringing her hands to her mouth. Johanna cried out, seeing lines tracing down her arms, up to her shoulders and across her chest. Johanna began to panic, trying unsteadily to stand. _What are these?!_ She thought, leaning against the wall, staring down at herself in horror. After the initial shock settled, Johanna felt okay on her feet, and slowly made her way down the alley, still shaky and unable to take her eyes off of her arms.

Johanna was practically naked, in a camisole and pants that were sizes too small. She turned a corner, hoping to come along someone, but she was left disappointed. The streets were empty, as she expected them to be in this downpour. As Johanna walked she came across a small shop, closed, but it wasn’t the shop that caught her attention.

The reflection in the window was familiar, but at the same time very different. Johanna knew it was her, all logic told her it had to be, but the girl that she was looking at was not the same girl who had gone to bed the night before. This girl was older, by quiet a few years, and sometime between the night and the morning she had filled out, leaving her clothes too small.

Johanna’s mouth dropped in shock, and she began to panic, hyperventilating as she did. She trailed her newfound curves, her eyes finally resting on her strange, new tattoos. It was too much and Johanna let loose a terrified scream before sinking to the ground, where she sat heaving and sobbing.

A piece of paper captured Johanna’s attention, and she turned to look at it. It was a newspaper. Johanna flailed for it, trying desperately to grab it before it flew off down the street. Johanna picked it up, gently unfolding so she didn’t rip the wet paper, and looked up to the top for the date.

Impossible! Johanna’s eye grew wide and she blinked several times, rubbing her eyes. It was no illusion however, and each time she rechecked the page, it said the same date. _1915? This date is wrong?! It’s 1913!_

A loud explosion rang out from somewhere behind Johanna, startling her. She glanced around quickly, not seeing any sign of a struggle, when a second boom sounded, this time much closer. Johanna screamed, taking off down the street. She ran as fast as she could and as far away from the sound as possible. Another loud explosion rang clear this time, and Johanna nearly stumbled over her own two feet in panic.

Johanna was running blindly now, the rain in her eyes. She’d lost her newspaper a while back, but she wasn’t turning around for it, not in a million years. In front of her a boy flew out into the street, but Johanna was running too fast to stop. Johanna and the young man collided, but neither of them fell as he caught her in his arms, holding onto her tightly.

Johanna took in the young boy’s features and he stared at her fearfully with bright, golden eyes. His hair was long, blonde and neatly braided, and he was about her height. He stared her up and down, his eyes trailing over the black lines that adorned her arms and chest, before finally resting on her face. His eyes darted away from her, looking off behind her.

What happened next seemed to go in slow motion. Johanna turned to find a huge, hulking man lunging at them. His hair was white and on his face sat a huge, x-shaped scar. His eyes grew wide behind his sunglasses as he lunged at her, his left arm outstretched and glowing blue.

“Look out!” The boy yelled, pulling Johanna into his chest tightly. Johanna screamed, burying her face into his shoulder as he brought his right arm out to shield them. Another explosion, as Johanna and the boy were sent flying out into the street. She landed hard on top of him, groggy and confused, her head swimming from the loud noise that just pierced her eardrum. “Dammit!” the boy groaned, sitting up, Johanna still in his lap. “Are you okay?” He asked her, genuinely concerned. Johanna nodded her head, at a loss for words.

Satisfied that she wasn’t injured, the boy looked up behind her, and Johanna followed his gaze. The man stood at the entrance to the alleyway, staring down at her. Relief flickered over his features, but only for a moment.

“Automail, then that explains why my attacks didn’t do the damage I expected.” the man spoke with a deep voice, one that chilled Johanna to the very core. Something glinted in the low light in Johanna’s peripheral vision. Her eyes grew wide, and she was shocked to find a metal arm holding her tightly.

“Can you walk?” The boy asked her. Johanna barely heard him, unable to break away from the metal limb around her shoulder. “Can you walk?” he asked again.

“Y-yes.” Johanna stammered.

“Good, you need to get out of here.” Suddenly fearful, Johanna pushed off of him, standing, but not taking her eyes off of the large, intimidating man in front of her. Behind him she could see what appeared vague outline of body lying on the alleyway floor. It was unmoving and seemed to be in pieces, an arm here a leg there. Johanna gasped, realizing what she saw wasn’t a body at all, but an empty piece of armor.

The boy who had caught her clapped his hands together, effectively drawing her attention from the destroyed suit of armor. His metal hand changed into a sword right before her very eyes, leaving Johanna speechless. _Was that alchemy?_ She thought to herself. _But it couldn’t be! He didn’t use a circle!_

“Brother! Don’t! Just run away!” The suit of armor shouted from the alleyway. His voice startled her, a talking suit of armor is something you don’t see everyday. _More alchemy?_ She assumed. Johanna’s eyes flickered back to the armor who still lay in the alleyway. _That’s no alchemy I’ve ever seen._

“You press your hands together to make a ring and then you perform transmutation.” The scarred one said, his attentions turning to the boy. The boy yelled, running for the man, but he wasn’t fast enough. The scarred man caught his metal arm, staring hard at the young boy. “It seems I will have to start by destroying this abhorrent metal arm of yours.” He growled. In an instant, the boy’s arm exploded into thousands of pieces, the force of it sending him flying backwards.

Johanna screamed as the boy fell to the ground next to her, and she brought her hands up, shielding her from the various shards of metal. The boy landed hard on the concrete where he stayed, staring up at the man in front of him in a mixture of shock and pain. The scarred one approached him slowly, glaring down at him.

“Now you will not be able to use your heretic alchemy.” He spoke coolly. The scarred one stood over the stunned boy, his arm flashing blue, pulsing with some sort of unknown energy. “I will give you a moment to pray to God.”

“Brother! Run!” The voice yelled from the alleyway. Wheels began to turn in Johanna’s head, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. _This man is going to kill him!_ She thought frantically, her fear quickly dissipating. _I can’t watch them die!_ Johanna had to do something and she had to act fast.

Johanna threw herself forward, her knees landing heavily on the ground. She threw her arms around the boy’s shoulders, effectively sitting in between him and the psychopath with the glowing arm. Johanna looked up at the scarred man; he seemed confused by her actions.

“I did not come here for you, girl. Move. Now.” He demanded. Johanna didn’t flinch; instead she gripped the boy tighter.

“I won't!” She yelled back at him. The scarred one’s eyes narrowed at her, trying to work out why she would throw her life away for the scum he was about to purge. _“Please,_ just leave him alone!” The young boy glanced over at her, and then back at his brother, who still lay in the alleyway. He heaved a heavy sigh.

“Am I the only one you’re after today?” the boy spoke up from underneath Johanna’s protective embrace. She loosened her grip on him, pulling away to look at him. The boy stared unflinchingly up at the scarred man. “Or will you kill my brother and this girl when you’re through with me?”

“If they continue to interfere, I will eliminate them, however Fullmetal Alchemist, you are the only one receiving judgment today.” the boy stiffened underneath her and he turned his face to meet hers.

“Let me go.” He whispered to her, meeting her gaze. Johanna shook her head defiantly. Everything told her to run, to go before she suffered the same fate, but she couldn’t run knowing that he would die. Even if she didn’t know him, Johanna knew she wouldn’t be able to live with that.

“No.” She told him.

“Now is not the time for heroics. Let me go and he’ll spare you.” The boy she now knew as Fullmetal explained. Again Johanna shook her head, holding him tighter and glaring up at the scarred man fearlessly.

“Foolish girl.” The man said quietly, outstretching his hand towards her face. “Your judgment will be swift.” Fullmetal again tried to shake her off, but Johanna wasn’t moving, she only held him tighter.

“GET OFF! RUN YOU IDIOT!” He screamed at her. Johanna’s heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears and she could feel the scarred man’s hand creeping closer and closer to her. The boy under her stopped moving and simply stared incredulously at the girl who was holding him. _Why would she sacrifice herself for me? She doesn’t even KNOW ME!_

A gunshot cracked the still air and Johanna flinched, jumping nearly ten feet in the air. She dared to look up at the scarred man, who had stopped in his tracks, looking off into the distance.

“That’s enough!” A deep voice echoed off the empty streets. Johanna looked up for its owner, to find an entire row of state soldiers in blue, guns drawn, pointing their firearms in their direction. “You won't be killing anyone else today, Scar.” the black haired man spoke confidently, his gun still in the air. “I’m taking you into custody, where you will answer for the murders of at least ten State Alchemists.”

“Alchemists alter things from their natural form, perverting them into something else, something grotesque.” Scar said matter of factly, his eyes darting to Johanna. “They profane God, the true creator of all things. As an agent of God I’m here to hand down his judgment.” He spoke, not taking his eyes off of her. “If you interfere I will eliminate you as well.”

“Oh, is that right?” The soldier said haughtily. He handed his gun off to the woman beside him, who took it with wide eyes.

“Colonel Mustang!” The woman called after him. The Colonel ignored her and Johanna watched as he strode out into the middle of the street confidently. Scar narrowed his eyes, amused.

“Colonel Mustang? So this is the Flame Alchemist.” A look of realization came over Scar’s face and he stepped away from Johanna. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him walk over to the Colonel, ready to fight. “To think you would volunteer yourself for my judgment. This is truly an auspicious day!” Scar began to run at him, but the colonel kept his same pace.

“So you know who I am and you still want to fight?” The Colonel said holding his hand up in front of his face. The woman from before ran up behind him and just as the Colonel went to snap his fingers, she tripped him. Scar’s hand missed the Colonel’s face by mere inches and the woman drew two side arms, firing them in earnest at the psychopath who’d nearly killed her superior.

Johanna watched in amazement as he danced around the bullets, each of them hitting in the dirt at his feet, or embedding themselves in building behind him. Scar drew closer to them as he dodged the bullets, and Johanna’s eyes widened. _Oh no, he’s coming back towards us!_ She glanced over at Fullmetal, as he too was thinking the same thing.

Johanna could transmute a wall, her father had taught her basic alchemy when she was younger. _I don’t have time or chalk to draw a circle!_  Johanna glanced over at Fullmetal, her eyes wandered across his chest until they stopped at his shoulder, the one with the missing arm. _Maybe I don’t need a circle..._ Slowly Johanna brought her hands together, biting her lip as she did. _Here goes nothing!_

Johanna threw her hands at the ground, emanating bright blue sparks as she did. A wall sprang up in front of her and Fullmetal, shielding them from the incoming bullets. Johanna stared at her hands, shocked, swaying where she knelt. _I can’t believe that worked_ … Johanna looked up at Fullmetal who stared at her, wide eyed, before her eyes began to grow heavy. She wasn’t prepared for how much energy it had taken to transmute and she grew more tired by the second.

Edward stared at the girl, shocked for the second time that day. She just transmuted without a circle. _Impossible. Nobody can do that, unless…_ His eyes quickly scanned her body but she seemed to be intact. The girl wobbled dangerously next to him, and he shot his hands out, snatching her into his only arm for the second time. She stared up at him weakly, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Fullmetal?” one of the soldiers asked, running around the transmuted wall, over to where they sat. The girl’s eyes shut heavily, leaving Edward staring down at her, dazed. “Edward? Edward Elric?” Edward turned his head to look at them and they turned their attentions to the girl in his lap, taking her limp body from his one good arm.

“Miss? Miss?” One of the soldiers had returned begun to snap in her face, trying to wake her up, but she was out cold. The soldier’s hand moved to her neck, checking for a pulse. He seemed to breath a sigh of relief, signaling to Edward that he’d found one. “Do you know her name?” The soldier asked Edward. Edward shook his head, as another man helped him to his feet. Again his eyes traveled to the wall she’d transmuted to save their lives.

_Impossible Girl…_

* * *

 

Johanna woke a few minutes after her fainting spell, and despite her constant reassurances that she was okay; she was taken to Eastern City’s hospital. At the behest of Colonel Mustang, Johanna was given quite a few tests, x-rays, hearing and vision, all of which came back normal. 

Johanna now sat patiently in the examination room, she’d always hated hospitals, and she fidgeted nervously on the bed. Her clothes had been disposed of, and she had been given military issued clothes, a white tank top and grey sweat pants. The door to her room opened and the Colonel from earlier entered. He hesitated at the door, stepping to the side as Fullmetal stepped in after him.

Johanna watched the pair quietly, her eyes darting between the armless young man and the Colonel. She waited for what felt like forever before either of them spoke a word.

“My name is Colonel Roy Mustang,” The taller man introduced himself formally. Johanna smiled at him weakly.

“Johanna Albrecht.” She told him. The Colonel hesitated for a moment, before looking down at Fullmetal. The younger man realized it was his turn to introduce himself.

“Edward, Edward Elric.” He said flatly. 

“That was a very stupid thing you did today.” Colonel Mustang told her matter of factly. Johanna raised her eyebrow at him as he flashed a smile. “However, I know a young State Alchemist and his brother who are incredibly indebted to you.” He shot another look at Edward, who narrowed his eyes, glaring at the wall.

“It was nothing.” Johanna said meekly, fidgeting with the blankets on either side of her. Edward’s eyes flew to the girl’s body. Cautiously, he eyed her up and down, his sight lingering over the tattoos that covered her. It was an array of some kind, and as he circled her bed his eyes drifted to the continuation on her back, it was a style he’d never seen before.

“Your tattoos…” Edward trailed off, earning a bitchface from the Colonel. Johanna grabbed the blanket, wrapping them around her shoulders to cover her chest, back and arms. “Where did you get them?” He demanded. Johanna frowned at the floor.

“I-I don’t know.” Johanna said quietly, growing silent. She could still feel Edward’s eyes boring into her. Colonel Mustang cleared his throat, glaring at Edward as he did.

“Please, excuse my subordinate. His tact is lacking. If it’s okay with you I would like to ask you a few questions.” The Colonel chimed in, earning a dirty look from Edward.

“I’ll try to answer them.” Johanna said honestly, but she felt like she should be the one to ask the questions. She was sure she couldn’t answer any of theirs.

“We’ll start easy, Johanna. Where are you from?” He asked her. Johanna hesitated, biting her lip. She shook her head, looking at the floor.

“I-I’m from East City. I live here with my father” Johanna told him. Roy Mustang raised an eyebrow at her, sharing a look with Edward. 

“What were you doing out in the rain today, Miss Albrecht?” Colonel Mustang smiled at her. Johanna shook her head.

“I don’t know.” She paused looking at the pair. “I woke up in an alley, covered in these markings.” Johanna felt her eyes start to tear up and she buried her face in her hands. She remembered the paper she’d found shortly after waking up. “And I-I saw a newspaper! It said that it was 1915!” The Colonel frowned, again looking at Edward. What on earth... Mustang thought to himself, taking a second look at her shoulders, arms and chest. 

“What do you mean? What year is it supposed to be?” The Colonel asked, dumbfounded. Johanna gawked at the man and the Colonel shifted awkwardly, feeling bad for the arrogant tone he had just took with her. She was obviously confused.

“It’s 1913! Is this some kind of joke?” The Colonel glanced over at Edward and the two shared a pointed look. Edward felt himself softening towards the girl; he could tell now that she wasn’t lying or playing coy. Johanna truly believed what she was saying.

“Miss Albrecht, today’s date is April 13th, 1915.” Edward reached across the bed, grabbing a newspaper from the nightstand and holding it out for her to take. Johanna stared at the paper quietly, not taking it from him. She shook her head slowly.

“That’s impossible.” She whispered.

“How old are you, Miss Albrecht?” The colonel questioned her again. Johanna stared up at him.

“I’m thirteen.” She told him quietly. Johanna narrowed her eyes, shaking her head. “No, if it’s 1915, I suppose I would be 15…” Johanna whimpered, burying her face in her hands. Edward shared an uncomfortable look with The Colonel, both of which were confused, pitying. “I-I need to go home.” She said suddenly, catching both of them off guard.

“I don’t think that is such a wise idea, Miss Albrecht. You went head to head with a very dangerous man today.” The Colonel told her matter of factly. Johanna shook her head at him.

“I’m missing two years of my life. My father must be worried sick! I need to go home… please…” Johanna reached a hand out for the Colonel Mustang, grabbing onto the sleeve of his jacket. She began to sob and the Colonel sighed deeply. She had questions, the same as him. Maybe if she went home she could get some answers.

“Well, your tests came back normal you seem to be in good condition,” The Colonel trailed off, glancing at Edward. Edward shook his head, he obviously didn’t approve of The Colonels decision. “Alright, but you’ll be sent with an escort.” 

Edward heaved a heavy sigh. Johanna was completely lost in a world that she had no idea about. If she really was missing two years, she had to realize things could have changed drastically. Her father may not even recognize her, or worse, he could be gone completely.

“I’ll go with her.” Edward said finally, after considerable debate. If she was going out there, he didn’t want her to go with someone she didn’t know. Even if she just met him, he felt that he’d be better company then a few soldiers who didn’t know her name. Plus, it’d give him an opportunity to do some snooping. The Colonel smirked at him, eyeing him up and down. 

“You aren’t exactly fighting fit either, Fullmetal. I suppose I have no choice. I will accompany you as well.” The Colonel happily offered.

“Great.” Edward said through gritted teeth.

 


	2. A Toll For Our Transgressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johanna finally returns home after two years. Edward finds himself embroiled in another mystery.

Johanna stared up at the tall building that was her home, from the military town car that brought her here. It stood above her, brooding, and she frowned up at the top left window, her bedroom. No lights were on, a fact which only caused her frown to deepen.

“It doesn’t look like anyone is home.” Colonel Mustang muttered from the other side of the seat. Edward grimaced, kicking his foot out into The Colonel’s shin. He can be so callous.  

“I know he’s there.” Johanna told him quietly, flinging open the door and running back out into the rain. Edward made to grab her, but she was too fast and with only one hand he couldn’t grab hold of her.

Johanna reached for the doorknob, giving it a quick turn. It opened immediately. _I’ve told him so many times to lock the door!_ She thought to herself, rushing inside. Johanna left the door wide open behind her, running from the front room back towards the kitchen.

“Dad?!” She yelled as she entered the room, nearly tripping over the kitchen table. Johanna didn’t expect it to be there, it had been moved from its original setting on the other side of the kitchen. Johanna shook her head, placing two shaky hands on the chair. The moved table had stunned her, she knew for a fact it wasn’t there when she last was here. “DAD?!” Johanna yelled again, moving up the back stairs towards the bedrooms. 

Johanna stopped as she reached the top of the stairs, suddenly afraid to go any further. Her father’s bedroom door was open, she could see that no one was in there, but the door at the end of the hallway, her room, was still closed. 

“Dad?” Johanna’s voice was barely above a whisper and she took slow, timid steps towards the far door.

Johanna placed her hand on the door knob, her hands shaky and wet with sweat. Johanna closed her eyes tightly. _Please, please, please._ She chanted to herself, slowly turning the handle. The door creaked as she pushed it open. 

A dank smell hit her nose first, one that made Johanna gag. She covered her nose, as her eyes adjusted to the dark room. Once Johanna got over the smell, she was able to take in the site. This room wasn’t hers. Her bed was gone, her furniture was gone, her clothes, her toys. This room was littered wall to wall with bookshelves full of thick, leather bound volumes. Rotten food and moldy dishes sat in nearly every corner of the room. 

Where her bed used to be, sat a heavy looking desk, covered with stacks of books, notebooks and scientific equipment. The floor was dirty, littered with paper, garbage and more books. Johanna stepped slowly into the room, her knees shaking violently. She made her way to the desk, picking up the papers that sat there. They weren’t readable, the room was too dark, and Johanna groped for a light. She found the gas lamp on the desk, turning it on with a sharp click.

Johanna couldn’t make heads or tails of the notes; the handwriting was practically scribbles. She growled, tearing her eyes from the paper. Under the garbage on the floor, Johanna hadn’t seen with the lights off, but now she could make out a strange array which seemed to be drawn in dark red paint. 

In the middle of the array was a pile of clothes. Johanna had stepped over them before, completely disregarding them as more of the garbage that littered the room, but as Johanna studied the clothing, she realized that it wasn’t trash. Johanna ran over to the clothing, picking it up with shaky hands. 

The clothing was familiar, a white lab coat, red sweater, and black pants. Her dad’s white lab coat, favorite red sweater, and one of few pairs of black slacks he owned. They left her hands sticky and that’s when Johanna noticed they were covered in blood. Johanna froze in place, the blood in her body growing cold as a sick realization hit her hard. She looked at the array again, realizing that it was not drawn in paint, no, it was in fact drawn in blood.

“No…” Johanna whispered, absentmindedly dropping the coat and pants to the floor. She held the sweater up in the light, praying that this was just a nightmare. Johanna blinked twice, but nothing changed, this was real. “Noo!” She screamed, taking off out of the door. She ran blindly, her eyes wet with tears, only stopping when she ran headlong into what felt like a brick wall. Two firm hands grabbed Johanna under her arms, preventing her from falling to the ground.

“What’s going on? We came as soon as we heard you scream!” Edward asked, stepping around Colonel Mustang, who held Johanna firmly on her feet. Johanna was unable to respond, choked by tears and fear. All she could do was point back towards her room. 

Edward’s eyes followed the girl’s finger. Through the partially opened door Edward could see a few bookshelves and a desk. The room seemed empty enough, but if she ran from it screaming then that meant there was something else in there. He noticed her fingers were red and in her hands Johanna clutched a sweater to her chest. Edward held his hand out to take it from her, only to find it covered in blood. _That explains the screaming_. Edward thought, frowning at the girl. 

Slowly he entered the bedroom, pushing open the door as he did. The room was dirty and he had to cover his nose to avoid the smell. The place was trashed, but there was no body, which left Edward confused about where the bloody sweater came from, until he checked the ground. He saw what had made her scream, an array drawn in blood, fresh if he had to guess, parts of it were still wet. 

Again Edward looked around for a body, one that perhaps the both of them had missed, but he found nothing, which left him confused. The array was huge and whoever had drawn it had lost a lot of blood, so much so that they would never have survived, It was only logical there would be a body somewhere.

On the desk on other side of the room sat a notebook, Edward crossed to it and began flipping through the pages. It was mostly equations, lists and theories that had been exed out, presumably after they didn’t work. He flipped a few pages more until he came upon a relatively legible entry. His eyes grazed the page, lingering on the date at the top, It was dated two years prior, February 18th, 1913.

_It worked, I saw the gate, I, Doctor Jonathan Albrecht have seen The Truth. After years of trying I finally succeeded. It’s like my mind has been given the answer to every question. I don’t need to think before I transmute, I can just do it. It is a beautiful thing. And there was no toll, nothing was taken_.

_Impossible!_ Edward thought. He had to know how he did it. Edward skipped a few lines before he took up reading again. It was a different entry with the same date.

_ I woke up tonight in a sweat. It was late when I broke through to the gate, I had forgotten to check on Johanna, in my dream truth told me that I had indeed paid a toll… He told me it was my Johanna, but I couldn’t believe him. When I woke I rushed to her room only to find that she was gone. It was true, there was a toll and it was my daughter. She paid for my transgressions. What have I done? _

Again he skipped down the page.

_ I remember now. Everything was white and she was crying next to that thing, that monster. The Truth. She begged me not to let go of her, but I had no choice. He ripped her from me with barely a goodbye, sucking her into that cursed door. I promised her, I would come back for her and I will. I will get my Johanna back. _

Edward reread the passage, not entirely sure of what he read. Another slip of paper fell from the book, and Edward bent over to pick it up. It was a picture, a young girl, her arms slung lazily around an older man’s shoulders, a big grin plastered on both of their faces. It was Johanna, or a younger version of her, and a man who was presumably her father, Dr. Albrecht.

“The bastard…” Edward was angry as he slowly put the pieces together. Her father had accessed the gate and in doing so, Truth took Johanna. Dr Albrecht reminded him of another man he’d met recently, another alchemist who used his own family to advance his alchemy. Visions of Nina passed through his mind and Edward shuddered, resisting the urge to throw the book across the room. Instead he continued to read the man’s notes. He flipped to the last written page in the notebook, dated April 13th, 1915. That was today?

_I’ve finally done it; today I’ll be able to open the gate again. It’s been over two years, but I haven’t forgotten about her. I told her I would get her back, I promised her, and today I will fulfill my promise, I will be a father to her, and I wont fail her this time. She was my toll, but today I will be hers. I will bring my Johanna back from the gate. I promise_.

“What did you find?” Colonel Mustang asked as he entered the room. The Colonel’s sudden appearance startled Edward and he nearly dropped the notebook to the floor. Edward glanced up at the Colonel, holding the notebook out to him. Colonel Mustang eyed him suspiciously, but said nothing, taking the notebook out of Edward remaining hand. Edward watched as his eyes skimmed the page. “Well, that explains why she’s been missing for two years, but…”

“It doesn’t explain the tattoos. Nowhere in any of those passages does it mention him giving them to her.” Edward frowned up at the colonel, balling his fist. One mystery solved, but it wasn’t the one he wanted. Colonel Mustang frowned, again looking at the book he held in his hand.

“When you and your brother performed human transmutation, is this what you saw?” Mustang asked Edward. 

“It is, he described it exactly the same as what I saw.” Edward told him, deep in thought. Mustang stood taller, again reading the Doctor’s notes. “But I don’t think he performed human transmutation to open the gate.”

“Is that even possible? Without human transmutation?” Mustang asked him. Edward shrugged.

“It has to be, he mentioned Johanna, but considering he opened The Gate for a second time when she wasn’t even around…” Edward trailed off, thinking heavily. Mustang sighed loudly. 

“I think it’s safe to say she wasn’t part of the original transmutation.” The Colonel said, shutting the book with a loud thunk. Edward glanced up at him, realizing that Johanna wasn’t with him.

“Is she okay?” Edward asked him. The Colonel gave him a weak smile, pocketing Dr. Albrecht’s research.

“Would you be?” Edward said nothing, looking at the door. The Colonel cleared his throat, stepping past Edward. “I’m going to take this journal as evidence. This information could be dangerous in the wrong hands. As of right now Johanna Albrecht and her father are both dead.” Edward flinched at the tone Colonel Mustang took with him. “Is that understood, Fullmetal?”

“But what about her? She won’t understand.” Edward tried to reason with him. How was she supposed to cope with all of this? And then add to it that the state no longer recognizes her as alive? The Colonel gave Edward a pointed look.

“You have questions, Fullmetal, and so does she. Maybe you can find your answers together.”


	3. The Stubbornness of Mules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Elric's continue their journey, Johanna joins them, hoping to find answers.

Johanna sat quietly in her seat, across from Edward Elric and a rather large man with a blonde moustache, who she was introduced to as Major Alex Louis Armstrong. As much as she tried, she couldn’t help but stare at the man with an unsure expression, one that Edward seconded fully.

The ride was already awkward and Johanna just wished the train would take off. She was finding that she regretted taking the young man’s offer to join him on whatever foolhardy mission they were on. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now…  Her eyes shifted to Edward, who now sat at the window with his hand on his chin, eyes closed.

 _He didn’t even give you any details. You just accepted it without even thinking._ Johanna scolded herself.   _But if he could help me find answers_ … Johanna’s eyes trailed to the new jacket she wore. It was loaned to her by one of Colonel Mustangs Lieutenants, Riza Hawkeye, and she was to wear it until they got to Resembool, where Edward assured her they would find her some clothes. Johanna narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. _why did he want my tattoos covered so badly. I know they’re conspicuous, but_ …

A sharp tapping at the window brought everyone’s attention full circle. Edward jolted from his almost nap, surprised to see the man who stood on the other side of the window. Edward opened the window, sticking his head out.

“Lieutenant Colonel?” Edward asked. Johanna sat taller in her seat, scooting over to the window. Johanna recognized this man from the fight in East City, but she was never formally introduced.

“Hello Fullmetal, and who might this lovely young lady be?” The man gushed at Johanna and Edward sighed. Typical.

“Johanna Albrecht, this is lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes.” Edward said casually. Johanna smiled at the man, awkward holding her hand out the window for him to shake.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She half smiled at him. Lieutenant Hughes returned the gesture with a wide grin.

“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Albrecht.”

“What are you doing here Lieutenant Colonel?” Edward asked the man, hoping to spare Johanna the endless parade of pictures and gushing that was certain to be incoming.

“The folks at Eastern Command were a little too busy to make it down here today, so I came to see you off instead” Hughes said, proud of himself.

“Great, but would you mind telling me what the Major is doing here?” Edward asked him annoyed. Johanna glanced over at Major Armstrong, and she swore he was sparkling.

“For protection.” Maes Hughes told Edward, as if it were obvious. “What would happen if Scar came after you again? You’re in no shape for a fight and who would protect this beautiful young lady? The major is here to help. Just try to grin and bare it.”

“Children can be so stubborn.” Major Armstrong muttered, his sparkles gone. Edward glared at the man, as did Johanna.

“Hey shut up! I’m no child!” Edward told him angrily. The train’s whistle bellowed loudly, and Hughes, who had been watching Edward yell at the Major, smiled.

“Looks like it’s time.” The Lieutenant saluted Johanna and the others, one that Edward and the Major returned. Johanna followed their lead, putting her left hand to her forehead awkwardly, only causing Hughes to laugh. “Try using your right hand, Miss Albrecht.”

“Oh, right.” Johanna switched hands, not feeling any less awkward about it. Her cheeks flushed a deep red and she slumped back into her seat.

“You guys have a safe trip, stop in and give me a shout the next time you make it to Central.”

“Will do Lieutenant Colonel.”

“And Fullmetal, do be careful out there.”

* * *

 

The train ride was long and boring. Edward had fallen asleep a while back, about the time when the scenery switched from cities to farmland, and the Major had had his nose buried deep in his notebook for quite some time now. The conversation had been next to nothing and the silence had grown on Johanna, who now sat with her back to the window, her head lulling as she tried to stay awake.

“You should get some sleep Miss Albrecht. I promise you wont miss anything.” Major Armstrong said from behind his notebook. Johanna looked up at the man, who was still stuck in his book, and shook her head.

“I’m not tir-” Johanna yawned widely, her eyes watering as she did. “-ed.” She finished, causing the Major to crack a small smile.

“If you insist, Miss Albrecht.” he said, putting down his book finally. “Tell me, why have you decided to join Fullmetal on his quest.” The Major’s question took Johanna by surprise and she couldn’t give him an answer. Johanna shrugged, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the window.

“No where else to go, I suppose.” Johanna told him quietly. She had already been home and found nothing but blood. Images of her father’s clothes flashed over her mind. She wanted answers but got none and now her father was missing, probably dead.

Johanna’s house wasn’t the only thing that caused her pause. She looked down at her arms. Though they were covered in a tawny jacket she knew the tattoos were there. She could feel them on her skin. Everything about yesterday was a mystery. She groused to herself.

Johanna eyed the major up and down, remembering he had been the man who chased away the scarred assailant. His brute strength, didn’t surprise her, the man was huge. However, another thing that happened the day before did, the talking suit of armor.

“Major?” Johanna asked quietly. Major Armstrong had begun to read his book again, but when Johanna spoke he gave her his full attention.

“Yes, Miss Albrecht.” Johanna shuddered. She hated that, it made her sound so old.

“You can just call me Johanna.” Johanna corrected him with an awkward smile. He beamed at her, nodding his head quietly. There was another uncomfortable pause between them.

“Was that all, Johanna?” He asked finally, never taking his eyes off of her. Johanna frowned, unsure what exactly it was she wanted to ask.

“The suit of armor, the one that Scar destroyed yesterday, did Fullmetal create it using alchemy?” Johanna asked him finally. With everything that had happened, Johanna had pushed the thought from her mind, but the train ride had left her with plenty of undisturbed time with her thoughts and now it weighed heavily on her. Johanna was confused and she wasn’t exactly sure what she saw because what she saw didn’t make any sense to her. She’d never seen alchemy like that before, even with her father’s research.

Armstrong hesitated, looking down at the young man next to him. He was obviously uncomfortable with the direction that this conversation was going.

“You could say it is a form of alchemy, yes.” He answered. Johanna’s eyes went wide and she sat straighter in her seat.

“Is it the same kind he used in the alley? When he clapped his hands and transmuted?!” Johanna was excited; some of her questions were finally getting answers, she didn’t care if they were the small ones or not. The Major shifted uneasily in his seat.

"I’m not really sure I understand it myself, so I suppose those are all questions for Fullmetal to answer.” Johanna frowned, sitting back in her seat, defeated. Just when she was getting somewhere…

“Yes, major.” She pouted, again leaning her head against the window. The Major smiled at her again, feeling almost bad that he had to withhold the information from her. Colonel Mustang had ordered the silence of everyone present yesterday and an order was an order.

“Johanna,” The major started. Johanna opened her eyes, pricking her ears expectantly. Maybe she was going to get some answers. “You may call me Alex.” The Major finished without warning, causing Johanna to blush.

“Oh, uh… Okay.” Johanna said dumbly. The Major nodded at her, again picking up his book. Her cheeks hot, Johanna leaned back into her seat, nestling closer to its back to rest her head on it. She was tired and the Major was right, there was nothing to miss but farmland as far as the eye could see, a small nap wouldn’t hurt her, especially for the long ride tomorrow.

* * *

 

_“That oughtta do it. Ya ready?” Was that voice? Everything was hazy, like a fog had descended. Johanna rubbed her eyes, hoping that she could get rid of it, and slowly it began to lift from around her. “Don’t be scared, Al. Everything’s perfect.” Thunder broke overhead and the light pitter-patter of rain could be heard on the roof above. Taking a step forward, Johanna stepped out of the haze, into a dimly lit room. In front of her, two young children sat on the floor in front of a huge transmutation circle._

I recognize that circle… _Johanna thought, observing them quietly. The boy’s looked at each other, their golden hair shining in the dull light. The oldest gave the other a mischievous grin and they both placed their hands on the circle._

_The array lit blue, illuminating the room. It was an attic of some kind, one that Johanna wasn’t familiar with, stuffed with old boxes and furniture. She took another step forward, now behind them. The oldest glanced over his shoulder, and Johanna swore he looked right at her. The boy shook his head, realizing that nothing was there, went back to concentrating on the circle._

_Sparks flew around Johanna and she jumped nearly a foot in the air as a current sprang through the circle on the ground. The blue light was quickly replaced with red sparks and from the array sprang darkness that seemed to engulf everything. The boy with the golden hair screamed as his younger brother began to disintegrate in front of him. Again the boy turned, looking straight at Johanna, pointing at her and she begrudgingly looked down. In her chest, was a huge eye, which blinked once before focusing on the boys in front of her. Black hands jumped from her chest, grabbing both of the boys and Johanna screamed as the room went white, blinding her._

_When the light dissipated, Johanna’s head was swimming and she was dizzy and disoriented. She opened her eyes, a little too quickly, and dry heaved, nauseous from whatever just happened to her_.

_She found herself now in a white room, no, not a room, a place, but she wasn’t outside or inside. There were no walls, no ceiling. There was a floor, but not really, it all kind of formed into one white, endless space. Across the space from her, in front of a large grey door, sat a little boy, the same little boy from earlier, with the golden hair and the golden eyes. He looked around confused before looking up at her._

_“Al…? Wait… what was I doing?” he asked more to_ _himself than her._

 _“Hello…” Johanna spoke, but the voice wasn’t her own. It was raspy, yet young sounding. Johanna’s eyes widened in shock, she hadn’t meant to speak. She brought her hand to her throat_. Oh no, what’s going on?

_“Who are you?” The boy asked._

_“I’m known by many names.” Johanna’s body spoke again. “I am the world, I am the universe, I am God, I am truth, I am all, I am no one and I am also...” Johanna trailed off, pointing at the little boy in front of her She tried to fight it, but she couldn’t lower her arm. “You.” The boy’s eyes grew three sizes. The door behind the boy opened, revealing a huge eye, and slowly he turned around, his entire body shaking as he looked up at it. “You have dared to knock on the door. Now the door is open.”_

_Johanna watched in horror as the eye opened wide and hundreds of tiny black hands swarmed the boy, grabbing him and snaring him in their cold, black clutches. Stop it! Stop it please! Johanna screamed inside her head. She was disturbed and she was terrified, she had no control over what she did, what she said. Johanna was a prisoner in her own body. The boy with the golden hair and golden eyes screamed as they pulled him in._

_“Quiet child. This is what you wanted isn’t it?” Johanna asked him coolly. She tried to reach out for him, to grab him from the air, but she couldn’t move on her own, this body was no longer hers. “I will show you the truth.”_

_Just as the door closed, the boy reappeared in front of her, only this time he looked terrified, his arm outstretched. It was like he’d seen something truly horrifying, grabbed for something just out of his reach. Johanna was crying on the inside, but on the outside she remained cool and collected, a part of her almost enjoying his fear._

_“How was it?” Johanna asked amused, as the boy breathed heavily in front of her. He turned to look at the door, pausing before he spoke_.

 _“I see… the theory of human transmutation wasn’t wrong. It can be done. It’s just missing something!” Something inside of Johanna stirred as the boy reached out for the door. Was it anger? Loathing? No, it was disappointment. “All of the answers I need are right here!” the boy turned to Johanna. “You have to show it to me again!” he begged_.

_“I can’t do that. I’ve already shown you all I can for the toll you’ve paid.” Johanna told him matter of factly. She was confused; it was like déjà vu, like she’d been here before, except not here. Why did this conversation seem so familiar to her? The boy looked at her confused, his head tilted._

_“Toll? What toll?” Johanna’s leg rose on its own and she could feel it crackling. She looked down, realizing her leg was being replaced with another. Johanna tried to scream, but again she was silenced by her own body and she glanced up at the boy. His leg was being removed. The pieces clicked into place, Johanna was taking his leg._

_“Its the law of equivalent_ _exchange, right young alchemist?” Johanna’s body laughed at him. The boy shrieked, reaching down for his leg in agony. Johanna could no longer hold back and she too let out an ear piercing scream._


	4. Taboo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our party finds themselves in the company of an AWOL doctor. Edward realizes there is something about Johanna

Johanna shuddered awake, jumping in her seat. Johanna’s heart was pounding and she was hot, but upon seeing the train car, she began to calm down. Edward sat across from her, yawning away the sleep, but when he saw the fear on her face he stopped.

“Johanna are you-”

“Doctor Marcoh!” Major Armstrong interrupted Edward, leaning over the seat towards the open window, crushing the young woman into the wall. “Doctor Marcoh that is you, isn’t it?” Johanna followed the Major’s gaze, looking down the platform. The station was empty, save one older gentleman. The older man turned, his eyes growing wide as he did. “It’s me! Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!” Armstrong called to him. The man gasped, taking off down the tracks, away from Major Armstrong who stared sadly after him.

“Friend of yours?” Johanna asked the Major. He sat back in his seat and Edward took a deep breath, finally free from being crushed under his massive weight.

“He’s from Central… A talented state alchemist.” Armstrong said sadly. “He was researching into possible medical applications of alchemy, but after the Ishvalan Civil War he went missing, just disappeared.” Edward stared out the window in the direction the man ran off too, his look determined.

“Let’s go, Major.” Edward said, taking off down the train car.

“Edward!” Johanna called after him, standing as well. “Where are you going?”

“A guy like this Doctor Marcoh may know some useful things about bio-alchemy!” Edward called back to them. Armstrong was scribbling something in his notebook before he, too, stood, walking after Edward calmly. Johanna groaned, chasing after some doctor was not something she wanted to do first thing when she woke up. Begrudgingly she got up, following the men off the train car.

After collecting the broken suit of armor from cargo, Johanna and Armstrong caught up with Edward, who was waiting rather impatiently down the street.

“What took you guys so long?” Edward asked, looking at both of them before his eyes rested on the box that Armstrong was carrying.

“I’m sorry, Edward, there was a wait to get into the cargo hold.” Armstrong apologized dramatically. Johanna sighed, looking up at him, the morning had just begun and his dramatics had already given her a headache.

“Yeah, next time get your own box.” Johanna told him matter of factly, glancing up at the armor. She swore she heard it sigh, but that was impossible. Whether it moved or not, it’s not like armor can have feelings.

Edward gave her a sour look before turning and walking off towards town. Armstrong followed him quietly, fishing his notebook out of his pocket and clumsily shuffling through the pages. Johanna sighed, walking up underneath the box that rested on his left shoulder.

“Here, let me help you.” She told him, pushing up on the box, steadying it for the Major. Major Armstrong smiled at her.

“Thank you, Johanna.” He said happily, easily finding his page.

“No problem Maj- I mean Alex.” Johanna replied. Edward looked back at them, his face annoyed.

“Would you two hurry up? We don’t have all day. The train leaves in a few hours!”

“Hurry up… I’ll show you hurry up!” Johanna grumbled. Armstrong chuckled beside her as they approached a random citizen.

“You can let go of the box now, Johanna. I can handle it from here.” Armstrong told her confidently.

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure.” Armstrong reassured her. Johanna shrugged, sliding out from under his arm. She fell behind them as they searched and questioned nearly everyone they saw.

“Excuse me sir? Have you seen this man?” Armstrong asked another random shopkeeper. The shop keep studied Armstrong’s notebook and Johanna stepped forward to look at it. Did Armstrong have a picture of the man?

“Wow, Major, You can really draw.” Edward commented. Johanna glanced over Edward's shoulders, seeing that it wasn’t a photograph of Doctor Marcoh, but a hand drawn sketch that Armstrong had been showing them.

“He sketched him?” Johanna asked in disbelief.

“The art of portraiture has been passed down through the Armstrong family for generations.”

“Hmm, that guy looks like Doctor Mauro to me.” The shop keep said finally, scratching his chin. Johanna looked up at the man, mouth agape. The odds of them finding the Doctor had been looking slim until they found this man.

“Mauro?” Armstrong questioned. Johanna looked up at Armstrong. Was he sure this was the same man? I mean Mauro and Marcoh sounded very similar, it could be a coincidence… but then again… the way he took off down the platform wasn’t very reassuring.

“Most of our Doctors were drafted to help on the battlefields during the civil war… Then Doctor Mauro came here. He’s really a life saver.” Another man walked up to them.

“He’ll see any patient, and he never gives up on anyone.” The guy said smiling widely. Johanna frowned up at Major Armstrong.

“Doctor Mauro sounds like an amazing man.” She said quietly.

“He’s really amazing. You see this big bright red flash of light and you’re cured just like that!” Johanna tilted her head. Bright red flash of light? Her mind swept back to her dream from last night, the transmutation circle, and she gave an involuntary shudder. Edward shared a pointed look with Major Armstrong, they knew something that she didn’t.

“Do you know where we could find Doctor Mauro? I’m afraid I’ve lost my arm and would like some help with the constant pain.” Edward told them grimly, receiving a pitiful look from each man.

“Of course! Just down the street you’ll see a white flat, he’s on the second floor.” The shop keep told them happily. “Walk-ins are always welcome in his house. Hopefully he can do something for you!” The shop keep waved, walking back to his stand to reorganize his goods.

Edward and Major Armstrong led the way to the flat, which only took a few minutes to find. Johanna stared up at the white house, her eyes following the outdoor stairs that led up to a door. Johanna placed a hand on the railing, taking the first step.

“Johanna, let me go first.” Edward offered. Johanna stepped aside, letting the young man lead her up the steps, Armstrong quick at their heels. Edward knocked once, waiting impatiently for an answer. He grabbed for the handle and Johanna stopped him.

“Edward! You can’t just go around opening people’s doors!” Johanna scolded him. Edward glared at her, not moving his hand.

“If he’s not going to answer, we don’t have time to wait for him.” Edward pushed open the door. “Hello?” he called to the house’s interior. Johanna grabbed the back of his jacket to stop him, but it was too late. They were met, face to face with a gun. Johanna’s eyes grew wide at the sight of it and Edward froze in his place. In an instant the gun had been fired and Edward pulled Johanna into him, out of the bullet’s trajectory.

“Tell me what you three are doing here! Have you come to take me back?!” The Doctor yelled, his gun still pointed at them. Edward stiffened next to Johanna, both of them still terrified from the near death experience they’d just had.

“Please, Doctor, calm down.” The Major told him calmly. Doctor Marcoh glanced up at him.

“I don’t ever want to go back! Anything but that!” Doctor Marcoh cried. His eyes crazed. The gun shook violently in his hand and Johanna whimpered, burying her face into Edwards shoulder. She’d never seen a gun before the other day, much less been held at gunpoint.

“That’s not it, please listen!” Armstrong pleaded.

“So, you’re here to silence me then?” Marcoh said angrily, his face determined.

“No! Nothing like that!” Armstrong reassured him. This conversation was getting nowhere and slowly the gun traveled back to Johanna and Edward.

“I wont be tricked by you!” Marcoh raged. Armstrong grimaced, heaving the heavy box at the Doctor, causing him to fall to the ground.

“I’ll ask you one more time! Please calm down!” Edward ran in after the box, checking to make sure all of the pieces were still in tact.

“Are you crazy, Major?!” He yelled at Armstrong. The doctor still lay sprawled on the floor, and Johanna ran over to him, kicking his gun from his hand, across the room. Now that the gun was no longer an issue, she was feeling much bolder and she knelt beside the man, checking to make sure he was okay.

“Are you alright?” Johanna asked Doctor Marcoh, helping to remove the heavy box of armor from on top of him. The Major strode into the room, taking the box and pushing it off to the side where a table sat. With one strong hand, he pulled the Doctor to his feet. He seemed angry and he grabbed the man by his collar.

“The next time you have a gun pointed at Mister Elric and Miss Albrecht I will not be so easy on you. If you have calmed down I will release you.” The doctor gasped, glancing over at Johanna and Edward.

“Al-Albrecht? Johanna Albrecht?” Doctor Marcoh stammered. The Major’s eyes went wide, and he placed the Doctor gently back on his feet. Doctor Marcoh watched Johanna quietly, as did Edward.

 _Does she know him?_ Edward thought, glancing between Johanna and Doctor Marcoh. Johanna seemed just as shocked as he was, so he gave her the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t know Doctor Marcoh, but he seemed to know her.

Minutes seemed to pass, the tension of the room palpable, when the Doctor broke the silence. It started out as a low chuckle, but quickly turned into a hearty laugh. Johanna took a step backwards, away from the man who continued to laugh.

“He did it, the fool did it.” Doctor Marcoh muttered.

“What are you talking about? How do you know me?” Johanna asked him fearfully.

“Your father was Jonathan Albrecht, wasn’t he?” Doctor Marcoh asked her. Johanna nodded. “He was on my research team. He helped me discover it.”

“It?” Edward questioned him. Doctor Marcoh barely paid him any heed.

“Your father used it to gain access to the gate, his thirst for knowledge was insatiable and for his avarice he paid dearly.” Doctor Marcoh trailed off, taking a few slow steps towards Johanna. Johanna didn’t move, she barely breathed.

 _What is he talking about?_ Johanna thought to herself. The Doctor stopped a few feet short of her, smiling down at her.

“But you’re here, you’re alive” Doctor Marcoh took Johanna in his arms, hugging her tightly. Edward stepped forward, but Armstrong stopped him. Johanna exchanged concerned looks with the two of them before slowly returning the Doctor’s hug. The man sobbed on her shoulder quietly, muttering something about “One less death on his soul.” all the while Johanna quietly rubbed his back, trying her best to calm him, despite the many questions swirling in her head. _One less death, was he talking about me? Did my father sacrifice me? Did my father kill me?_

* * *

 

After the doctor had calmed down, he invited them all to sit around his dining room table. He made them coffee on the stove, a strong brew, which Johanna could barely drink. She’d stopped shaking and now sat quietly in her chair, staring into her cup. She could feel the multiple pairs of eyes boring into her; Edward’s being the sharpest.

Edward frowned at the girl who now sat across from him. She seemed so sad, so lost, and he couldn’t blame her. She’d just found out that she had been brought back from the dead, or at least that’s what Doctor Marcoh thought. Edward knew better however, she wasn’t dead she was her father’s toll. He hoped that Doctor Marcoh would tell her so he didn’t have to; he wasn’t sure exactly how he could. Edward knew he wouldn’t get that lucky though, Doctor Marcoh barely knew what was happening, meaning he probably couldn’t explain it to her.

“So you changed your name and decided to live in hiding way out here in the countryside?” Armstrong asked, breaking the strong silence that sat between them. Doctor Marcoh nodded his head. “If the rumors I’ve heard can be believed, when you disappeared you took top secret documents with you?”

“I couldn’t handle it anymore. Order or no order, to have to dirty my hands researching that thing was too much.” Doctor Marcoh looked up at Johanna sadly.

“What thing is that?” Edward asked him quietly. Doctor Marcoh looked back down at his hands, his eyes wet.

“It took so many lives. During the Civil War so many innocents died because of it.” He sighed heavily again looking up at Johanna. “When Dr. Albrecht used it, when he told me that Johanna was lost, that was the last straw for me… I could spend my whole life trying and still never atone for the things that I have done.” Doctor Marcoh gave Johanna a pained look, and she forced her eyes back down to her coffee, which now sat in front of her, cold and barely touched. “I came here to be a doctor, so I could save lives instead of taking them.”

“Doctor… What exactly was it that you and my father were ordered to research?” Johanna asked finally, after a long pause. “What thing?” Doctor Marcoh took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on his hands.

“The Philosopher’s Stone.” Edward gasped from across the table, and Johanna swore she heard the suit of armor give a surprised groan as well. Johanna turned to look at it, but it sat as unmoving as ever in the box. Edward watched Johanna from across the table, his eyes darting down to his younger brother. “The top secret materials I took were my research documents and the stone itself.”

Edward slammed his good hand down on the table, standing up as he did. Johanna jumped at his sudden movement, watching him cautiously.

“Do you mean you still have it? It’s here?!” Edward asked him excitedly. Doctor Marcoh stared at the boy shocked. Slowly he reached into his jacket, pulling out a small vial of red liquid. The vial was familiar, she’d seen something like it before, her father had brought it home one evening. No, not one evening, the last evening she could remember. Johanna gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. Was this what her father used to kill her? “How can that be the stone? It’s a liquid…” Edward thought out loud as the doctor unscrewed the top.

“The sages stone, the grand elixir, the fifth element…” Doctor Marcoh said slowly, pouring the liquid onto the table. It maintained the form of a sphere as it rested on the tabletop. Johanna couldn’t take her eyes off of it. Edward was practically salivating. He was so close to it, all he had to do was take it. Slowly he reached his hand out to touch it, poking it lightly, watching it reshape itself under his finger. “The Philosophers stone is called by many names, so it takes on many forms. It is not necessarily a stone. This is an incomplete product, however. There is no way to know when it will reach its limit and become unusable.”

“Finished or not, it demonstrated plenty of power during the Ishvalan Civil War, right? It’s just like the stone that false priest had in Liore.” Edward’s words had caught the doctor’s attention, and his ears pricked. “It was incomplete, but it still amplified his powers considerably. If imitation stones this powerful can be produced, who’s to say a complete product can’t be created? Please, Doctor Marcoh. I need access to your research materials.” Edward begged him.

“Major, who is this boy?” Doctor Marcoh asked turning to Armstrong.

“This boy is a state alchemist, doctor.” Armstrong told him matter of factly.

“What?! But he’s only a child!” Doctor Marcoh gasped, shocked.

“You think I don’t know what I signed up for? I know what I’m doing, but I don’t have any choice.” Edward hesitated looking over at Johanna. He still didn’t fully trust her, but he knew she would find out eventually, he only wished he could have given her a little warning before hand.

Edward threw off his jacket, gesturing to his missing arm. Doctor Marcoh was confused, and Edward gestured down towards the suit of armor at his side. Johanna followed his gaze, glancing at the armor, he seemed different, his posture, it was almost sad. The armor looked up at her pointedly, catching her off guard. It looked right at her, giving her the sinking feeling that it wasn’t just a suit of armor, that it wasn’t just a product of alchemy. Edward spoke again.

“I know what I’m doing, but I don’t have any choice. If this is a mistake, then it’s a mistake I have to make.” Edward smiled weakly down at the armor. “It’s the only way to return my brother to normal. There is no other choice.”

“I see…” Doctor Marcoh stood. Johanna barely noticed, she was too busy staring at Edward, trying to piece together the puzzle of what he just said. “So you’ve committed the taboo…”

“Taboo? What taboo?” Johanna asked. Edward frowned at her, the innocence of her words cutting him deeply. He’d wanted to keep the secret longer than this, if they had only gotten to Resembool he could’ve pretended Al was inside of the armor once he’d fixed it, but here they were and now she had to know.

“The taboo of human transmutation.” Edward said seriously. The look he gave Johanna sent shivers down her spine. “My brother and I committed the ultimate sin, and for that we were punished.” Johanna’s eyes fell to where Edward’s automail arm used to be, before Scar destroyed it. Her blood ran cold and her eyes travelled to the suit of armor that lay in pieces in the box on the floor.

“I-Is that…” She stuttered. A realization hit her hard and she glanced back up at Edward. The look on his face was similar to the boy from her dream… But the boy from her dream lost a leg, not an arm.

“My name is Alphonse Elric.” A hollow voice spoke. It was the same voice from her encounter with Scar. “As punishment for trying to bring back our mother, I had my body taken.” Johanna whimpered, standing up in her chair. The vision of the younger brother disintegrating made her nauseous. It couldn’t be, how did she not realize that before? Slowly she backed towards the door, feeling for the handle.

“Johanna, please sit down.” Armstrong pleaded with her. Johanna shook her head, opening the door and bolting down the stairs. She couldn’t stay in that room anymore; she didn’t know how to deal with any of them right now.

Edward sadly watched her go. He wanted to go after her, but he knew that that would only exacerbate the situation. It was too much on her; she wasn’t prepared for everything she’d learned today. Edward sighed, turning back to Alphonse.

“You could’ve toned down the creep factor, Al.” Edward said crossly. Al looked up at him ashamed.

“I’m sorry brother! I didn’t think she’d run away!”

“Should I go after her?” Armstrong asked them. Edward frowned, shaking his head. She needed time to cool down, time to think. They’d find her before they left.

* * *

 

Johanna ran from the house until she found herself on the outskirts of town. She stopped at the wall, staring out into a large field. She could keep running, she could get out of here, find another town. Johanna could live with the questions, she was sure of it. All the answers she got were dark and disturbing anyways. She didn’t really want to know, did she?

 _“My name is Alphonse Elric…”_ The hollow voice echoed through her mind, and Johanna forced her eyes shut. Her dream came back to her; the boys both had golden eyes and golden hair…

The gravel crunched behind her and Johanna turned on her heels. Edward Elric had found her and was now walking up to her, slowly yet confidently. Johanna shut her eyes, not able to look at him as she realized his face was the face from her dream. She felt so stupid for just now realizing it.

“Glad I found you. We’ve only got forty five minutes until boarding.” Edward told her matter of factly, turning back the way he came. Johanna stared at him in shock, was he just going to act like nothing happened?

“How did you find me?” Edward faced her, raising an eyebrow at her, confused.

“It’s easy to find a girl who just tore through the city like she’d seen a ghost.” The boy chuckled, stopping several feet in front of her. He was trying to make her laugh, but Johanna’s face was heavy. She didn’t want to laugh. She wanted to cry. Edward frowned “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but if you’d waited before you ran outta there, I could’ve better explained.”

“There’s nothing to explain.” Johanna tried to brush past him, but he grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“My brother and I were young when it happened. Our father had left us and our mom had just died. It was stupid and naïve and we didn’t know any better.” Johanna stopped, forcing herself to look up at him. He didn’t look at her, he just stared out at the pasture.

“Stop.” Johanna begged him quietly.

“I had it easy, my leg was taken as my toll, but Al, Al lost everything.” Edward continued, smiling bitterly. Johanna shook her head, wishing that he would stop. Her eyes passed to her leg, remembering how it felt when it crackled. “I gave my right arm to bind his soul to that suit or armor.”

“Please, please just stop talking.” Johanna pleaded with him, this time louder than she had before. His words just brought back more memories of her dream. “I know what happened to you… I-I saw it.” Edward released her arm, his expression blank. Johanna felt guilty, like she had been the one to cause it. But that was impossible. She thought, trying desperately to make herself feel better.

“What do you mean you ‘saw it’?” He asked her mildly irritated. Johanna shrugged, she barely understood it herself and she wasn’t sure if she could explain it.

“I had a dream last night, no a nightmare. I woke up in an attic and there were two little boys sitting beside a transmutation circle.” Johanna glanced up at Edward cautiously. He was watching her suspiciously, his fists at his side. “It was raining and when the circle was activated everything went to hell. I took your brother first!”

“Stop talking.” Edward warned her quietly. He was getting angry listening to her, for what reason he didn’t know.

“I took your brother and I took your leg!” Johanna sobbed. “I was so evil to you! I’m so sorry!!!”

“I said stop talking!” Edward growled at her, grabbing her tightly by her wrist. Johanna winced, but she closed her mouth, crying silently. Slowly she met his gaze, he was angry with her and he should be. He should hate her for what she did to him.

Edward was pissed, the way she talked about it like she knew them. She didn’t know them; Johanna had no idea, even if she saw it in her dream. Johanna sobbed violently, causing Edward to falter. Her face was red, blotchy, her eyes tear filled. She shook in his grasp, and Edward could tell that she was terrified. She’d been stuck in The Gate for so long, there’s no telling what all she’d seen. Edward knew that it wasn’t her who took those things from him. He knew that it was Truth, and he also knew that Truth had probably given her that vision. Edward sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“I know that you have a lot of questions and I know that everything you’ve gotten in the way of an answer has been cruel.” He began quietly, looking up at her. He’d let his anger get the better of him and he released her wrist carefully, so as not to hurt her again. Johanna stepped away from him, grabbing where he was just holding her, it still hurt but she didn’t blame him. “It wasn’t you that day. It wasn’t you who took my leg and Al’s body, I would’ve remembered if it was.” Edward told her, trying to ease her mind. Johanna sobbed with relief, burying her face in her hands. Edward frowned at her. He pitied this girl. “I’m not going to guarantee you anything, but I will promise you that if you come with us, I will do everything in my power to help you get your answers.” Edward smiled at her. He wanted to cheer her up, anything to stop her from crying. “Both Al and I will.” Deep down he felt like her past was tied into their future, he knew it was, his gut told him it was. Not only that, but she gave him hope that retrieving Al's body was a possibility, not a cock-eyed theory.

“No more secrets?” Johanna asked quietly after a short pause. She didn’t know if she could take any more secrets like the ones she’d been kept from recently.

Edward’s heart panged, he did have one more secret, and it was about her. He knew he should tell her, but he felt that now wouldn’t be the best time. Edward held out his good hand, willing her to shake it.

“No more secrets.” He smiled at her. Johanna looked at his hand, hesitantly taking it in hers. A train whistle blew in the distance, Johanna looked off in the direction it came. “Looks like we need to hurry.” Edward told her, grabbing a hold of her hand tightly and running off in the direction of the train station.


	5. Dots and Boxes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads to Resembool!

Johanna had been watching Edward silently since the train took off. Before they boarded, Doctor Marcoh had found them again, and handed Edward a note saying where his research was hidden.

“Brother, what does the note say?” Alphonse asked quietly from next to Johanna.

“National Central Library, first branch.” Edward said, frowning.

“I get it… like hiding a tree in the forest.” Johanna trailed off. Edward looked up at her, puzzled, and Johanna’s cheeks went red. “Finding one book in a giant library would be difficult for anyone, especially if you didn’t know what you were looking for.” Johanna continued, hoping her metaphor made sense to more people than just her. Armstrong nodded, he understood apparently.

“I’m just glad we finally have another clue about the stone.” Edward said happily, now more determined than ever. Johanna half smiled at him. She was worried about what the doctor said about the stone, about how many innocent lives were lost to it. She was aware of the war in Ishval, how brutal it was, but for some reason Johanna felt like he meant something more… “Are you gonna be okay with not reporting him to central, Major?” Edward spoke up suddenly.

“I met a small town doctor today. As far as I’m concerned there’s nothing to report about that.” Major Armstrong said stonily, a slight smile on his face. Johanna grinned up at him, not really figuring him for the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ type.

The rest of the ride was mostly quiet. Edward was lost in thought. About half way through, Armstrong pulled out his notebook gesturing for Johanna to take it. There were several rows of dots on the page and Johanna watched him with a raised brow.

“Are you challenging me to a game of Dots and Boxes, Alex?” Johanna asked mischievously.

“I assume you know how to play then?” The Major returned just as lightheartedly. Edward’s attention had been piqued and for the first time during the ride he deposited the note in his pocket.

“What is it?” Edward asked innocently. Johanna grinned at him, watching as Alex played his first line, center of the page, how bold of him. Johanna took his pencil, playing a line off of his.

“Each player plays one line per round.” Armstrong played his line off of Johanna’s and Johanna grinned, completing the square with the final line and writing out a ‘J’ in the box. “When you complete a square you put your initial in it. The player with the most squares at the end of the game wins. Have you never played before?” Johanna’s question was innocent enough; any normal child had played this game. It was always a favorite of her and her father. She frowned as Edward sunk back into his seat sadly, realizing what she said. “Oh, I-I’m sorry.” Johanna looked pleadingly from Edward to Al, neither of them speaking.

Slowly Johanna handed the pencil off to Edward. He looked at it suspiciously, glancing up at Johanna, before taking it with his good hand. “It’s not going to bite. besides… “Johanna grinned at him, holding out the notebook. “It’s your turn, Edward.” She told him happily. Edward hesitated a moment, before a big grin spread on his face. Happily he drew his line, staring at it proudly.

“Okay, but don’t be upset when I win.” He said impishly.

“I want to play, brother!” Alphonse chimed in happily. Johanna smiled at him, taking the pad and pencil back from Edward. . Johanna watched the armor, pushing her ubsettled feeling to the side. He gave her no reason to feel that way, and she felt terrible for running out on him the way she did. Like it wasn't hard enough on him already, the last thing he needed was her to be afraid of him.

“Just tell me where to put your lines, Al, I’ll draw them for you.” Johanna told the younger Elric brother. That’s how they spent the rest of their ride, playing meaningless children’s games, dots and boxes, tic-tac-toe, and hangman.

* * *

 

“Edward, for the last time, you can’t just use alchemy terms for hangman!” Johanna raged as Edward drew the last leg on her hangman. Edward grinned to himself, smiling up at her evilly.

“You’ve beaten me all day in Dots and Boxes, now it’s time for a little payback.” He jeered proud of himself. After the first hour of Johanna winning Dots and Boxes, Ed and Al decided to take their revenge at hangman.

“Dot’s and Boxes is a basic strategy game. I don’t know any alchemic terms, so when you pick Aqua Regis it puts me at a disadvantage.” Johanna could feel her eyebrow twitching. She hated losing.

“You guessed deconstruction correctly!” He argued with her, earning him a bitchface.

“Fine.” Johanna gritted her teeth. Deconstruction wasn't an alchemic term, it was a basic word, but she'd already lost this argument earlier so Johanna decided not to start again. _“Deconstruction_ is one of few alchemic terms I know.”

“Maybe you should learn some new ones.” Edward said sarcastically. He stopped for a moment, watching the girl silently, remembering how she transmuted in East City. Johanna crossed her arms, huffing indignantly.

“Maybe I will.” She told them stubbornly. Edward and Al shared a look. He had told his younger brother what happened that day and both of them were just as intrigued. _She must not remember doing it._ Edward thought to himself.

“I could teach you, Johanna.” Al offered politely.

“You could try,” Johanna trailed off scrunching her nose. “I don’t think I’d be very good at it. Science was never my forte.” Despite her father’s apparent genius in alchemy, Johanna seriously doubted herself when it came to alchemic sciences. Al laughed light heartedly.

“I think we can teach you, right brother?” Edward had leaned back in his seat and Armstrong had taken back his notebook. The oldest Elric sat with his elbow on the sill, chin in his hand.

“Yeah, yeah.” He said quietly staring out into the window. This girl puzzled him, from her tattoos to her time spent in The Gate. From the corner of his eyes he watched her as she made small talk with his brother. Al seemed to enjoy her company, now that he was no longer in hiding. Despite himself, Edward let a small smile tug at his lips.

The train whistle blew loudly and the Ticketmaster at the front of the car shouted something about Resembool station. Johanna glanced at the window, seeing that they had indeed come upon a small train station. It was nearly empty; clearly Resembool was a small town.

Edward practically jumped to his feet, ready to get off the train and enjoy his freedom. It was too confining to be trapped next to Major Armstrong any longer. Johanna followed his lead, stepping into the aisle behind him, while the major grabbed up Alphonse.

“It’s kind of a walk to our mechanic’s house…” Edward trailed off, looking over at Johanna. She stretched her arms to the sky, her back cracking pleasantly before turning to him and smiling.

“Yep, I think I can walk just fine.”

“Good, because I don’t want to hear any complaining.” Edward told her, picking up his suitcase and walking to the station’s exit. Johanna glared daggers at his back, following him into town.

* * *

 

Edward wasn’t kidding when he said they had a trek ahead of them. After about twenty minutes of walking, the group came upon a large yellow house. It was two-stories with green trim and a large sign out front that read “Rockbell Automail.” A large black dog lay lazily on the porch but as they approached he lifted his head, pricking his ears in their direction. An older lady walked out onto the porch, smiling and waving as she did.

“Winry! Winry!” She called back into the house. “Our best customer is here!” Johanna spared a glance in Edward’s direction and frowned. How often did he have to get his Automail fixed?

“Yo, Granny!” Edward called to her, waving his good arm. The old lady frowned at them, approaching them, the dog quick at her heels.

“Oh dear, what did you do now?” She sighed. Edward chuckled.

“A lot has happened. Can you fix us up?” He asked, to which he earned another sigh. “Oh, Pinako, this is Major Alex Louis Armstrong.” Edward said, introducing the hulking man. He lowered Al’s box to the ground, taking her hand and shaking it earnestly.

“I’m Pinako Rockbell.” Pinako said happily. Her eyes flew over to Johanna and the woman waited patiently, clearing her throat.

“Oh, and this is Johanna Albrecht.” Edward added. Pinako smiled at Johanna, taking her hand as well.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Johanna.” Pinako told her warmly. Johanna smiled and nodded at her, feeling awkward. This was their mechanic?  “I know I haven’t seen you in a while Edward, but you’ve gone and grown smaller.”

“Granny…” Edward seethed, his eyebrow twitching. Johanna watched him through wide eyes, biting her lip. “You got it wrong. You’re supposed to say “how big you’ve grown lately, Ed.” Pinako grinned at him mischievously.

“But why would I say something so clearly untrue?” Pinako pushed his buttons. Edward snapped.

“I’M STILL TALLER THAN YOU, YOU MINI HAG!” He screamed, his face growing red with fury.

“Edward!” A younger voice rang out over the yelling. Edward hardly had time to look up before a wrench came flying at his head. He ducked, barely dodging the giant, metal tool.

Johanna glanced up in the direction the wrench flew from. Standing on the second floor porch was a young woman, about Johanna’s age, with blonde hair hidden under a green bandana, and blue eyes. She was cute, slight and tall but definitely a tomboy. Johanna’s mouth dropped open. Is THAT their mechanic? She thought as she looked at the fair-haired girl.

“I thought I told you to call before you came for maintenance!” Edward blinked once, before glaring at the girl.

“Winry! Are you trying to kill me?” He yelled. His anger was focused now on the new girl. Winry paused, laughing loudly at his outburst to which Edward narrowed his eyes, confused.

“Welcome back.” She said pleasantly, finally recovered from her laughing fit. Winry paused, looking down at Johanna. Her face grew angry again. “Edward! You brought company and didn’t introduce me!”

“Wh-what?” Edward looked between Johanna and Winry. “Are you kidding?! The first thing you do when you see me is throw a wrench at my head and you’re mad I didn’t introduce you?!”

* * *

 

Pinako invited the four of them inside, where Winry met them in the living room with a smile. Edward cowered behind Armstrong, while Winry set her sights on the newest members of their group. Her smile faded when she saw Al sitting in the box on the major’s shoulder.

“So if Al looks liked that…” Winry said sadly, fear evident in her voice. Edward chuckled awkwardly, pulling a bundle out of his pocket and laying it out on the coffee table for her to see. Johanna winced, it looked much worse laid out on a table. “Oh no!” She squealed. Johanna swore she was going to cry.

“Yeah… sorry. It’s a little smashed up.” Edward said non-chalant, as if his tone would somehow make it better. Winry picked the pieces up, cradling them gently in her hands.

“A little smashed up? A LITTLE SMASHED UP!” Winry raged at Edward, turning around with a fire in her eyes. “Do you see what you’ve done to my beautiful creation?! I slaved over this!”

“It’s basically the same, just in smaller pieces.” Edward pish-poshed her. Something snapped in Winry and Johanna took a few cautious steps away from Edward. It happened so fast, in mere seconds Edward hit the ground, his cheek red, and Winry flexed her fist, glaring down at him. _Holy hell. She just decked him!_ Johanna thought to herself, barely able to contain her shocked amusement.

Johanna looked over at Al cautiously, who stared at his brother. If she wouldn’t have known better, Johanna would have thought his eyes were wide with fear. Winry sighed, turning to Al.

“What kind of trouble have you been getting yourselves into, anyways?” She asked him. Johanna shook her head at the suit of armor, warning him not to say a word. Al didn’t heed her warning however, and when he went to speak Winry kicked his metal head. “You idiots! All you ever do is worry me!”

Winry looked over her handiwork happily, Edward still practically unconscious on the floor and Al sobbing to himself in his crate. She turned to Johanna, her angry face replaced with a big grin. Winry outstretched her hand to Johanna, who nearly flinched before taking it.

“I’m sorry we haven’t been properly introduced, Edward can be so rude sometimes, the name’s Winry Rockbell.” Carefully, Johanna took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze. Johanna peered over Winry’s shoulder. Edward still lay motionless on the floor, cupping his cheek. She frowned at the boy, shaking her head lightly.

“My name is Johanna, Johanna Albrecht.”


	6. Nyctophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Elric's return home and Johanna reveals her biggest fear.

Winry led Johanna silently up to her room. Besides the introduction the two girls didn't say much. Johanna blamed it on her lack of people skills.

"So Ed tells me you're the reason his arm is in pieces." Johanna froze in her spot, her eyes growing wide.

"Wh-what?" Johanna sputtered. Winry chuckled from in front of her, stopping outside of a closed door. Although Johanna didn't know Winry that well, she still feared this woman's wrath, especially seeing how well she dispatched the Elric brothers earlier.

"I'm just kidding. He told me all about your run in with Scar while I was taking his measurements." Winry paused, her hand on the doorknob. "Thank you, for protecting him." She said quietly. Johanna's cheeks flushed.

"I-It was nothing, really." Johanna dismissed her. Winry shook her head, smiling as she did.

"Those two are always into something, I worry about them." Winry trailed off, looking up at Johanna. "It'll be good for them to have someone else around." She said happily, opening the door. "This'll be your room for the next few days." Winry told Johanna.

"Oh, I don't need a room-"

"Nonsense, The guest bedroom will be yours and the boys can share the living room." Johanna's cheeks flushed, she felt like there was no arguing with her. Winry led Johanna into a bedroom, one that looked to be a spare, and crossed to a closet. "I hope you're okay with cargo pants."

"Cargo pants are fine." Johanna smiled at her as Winry reached into the closet, pulling out a pair of khaki cargo pants and unfurling them, studying them.

"I don't think you're lucky enough to find any without oil stains on them." Winry said sheepishly, handing over the pants.

"Any pants are better than sweat pants, especially military grade." Johanna laughed, shaking her head. "They're not very soft at all." Winry went back to the closet, pulling out a black top and handing that over as well before crossing to the door.

"I'll leave you alone to change. I gotta get started on Edward's Automail or I'll never get it done." Winry said happily.

"Are you sure you're okay with three all nighters in a row?" Johanna felt bad for the girl. Edward didn't even seem phased when she said how hard she'd be working for him. Winry grinned, giving Johanna a thumbs up.

"It'll be a snap." Winry said confidently.

"Thank you," Johanna blurted out, looking around the room, and then to the pants and shirt Winry loaned her. "For your hospitality."

"Any friend of Ed and Al's is a friend of mine."

* * *

After getting changed, Johanna had been requested downstairs to help prepare dinner. Pinako sat quietly at the dinning room table, working on Edward's leg, while Al was outside with Major Armstrong.

"I see Winry was able to find some clothes that would fit you." Pinako said, smiling up at her. Johanna stopped washing the vegetables, smiling at the old lady at the table. "They look nice on you, even if they are a little big."

"Thank you," Johanna said, feeling the conversation grow awkward. Johanna wished Edward were here, she felt like it would be much less awkward with someone she knew. The front door opened and Johanna turned. Major Armstrong had just walked in, a bundle of logs under his arm.

"I've got the wood you requested, ma'am." He said politely. While cutting the wood, The Major had lost his shirt, which was something that Johanna felt was normal for him.

"Oh, thank you." Pinako said, not looking up from the Automail she was working on. The Major and Johanna shared a look and Johanna cleared her throat.

"I haven't seen Edward around the house in a while." Major Armstrong chimed in, hoping to start some kind of conversation.

"Yes, he said he was going off to visit his mother's grave." Pinako told them. Johanna frowned; coming to Resembool must be hard for the brothers. _Is this where it happened?_ She thought back to her dream. "Major," Pinako spoke again, bringing Johanna from her thoughts. "What kind of lives are the boys leading these days? They have yet to send us so much as a single letter."

"Ed and Al are well known for their alchemy, even in a high profile place like Central." Major Armstrong said quietly, pensively. Johanna looked up at him, wondering why she had never heard of them, but then she remembered, she'd been gone for a couple years. "Sometimes that still gets them into trouble. It seems they have a knack for finding it, but don't worry they're all right. The Elric Brothers are strong boys and now they have Johanna to keep their heads on straight."

Pinako stopped what she was doing and for the first time looked up at Johanna. She felt her cheeks growing hot under the woman's stare and instead, crossed over to the cabinet in the corner. Pinako smiled at the girl who now sat studying the photographs that were displayed on the cabinet.

"Strong, eh?" Pinako muttered, catching eyes with Johanna. "Yes, I think you could call them that."

"I'm curious, Madam Rockbell, you speak of the Elrics as though they were your grandsons." Major Armstrong stated, joining Johanna at the cabinet. Johanna had picked up one of the frames and now the pair of them studied it together. It was a picture of the boys when they were younger, the boys from Johanna's dream, and a young blonde girl. In the background was Pinako and another woman with brown hair and a beautiful smile. _That must be their mother._ Johanna thought to herself.

"Of course, I've been watching over those boys since they were born. I'm a friend of the family you see." Pinako paused, inspecting her current work while Johanna moved on to the next picture. "The boy's father is an old drinking buddy of mine. One day he up and left the village, abandoning his wife and sons. I don't even know whether he's alive now or not."

Johanna found a picture tacked to the wall which had a corner of it covered. Slowly Johanna lifted up the corner, revealing an older man with a thick golden beard and a matching golden ponytail. Johanna frowned, the man was crying, which Johanna found ironic considering how happy every one else in the picture seemed, even Ed was grinning.

There were quiet a few pictures on the wall, even more than were displayed on the cabinet. Most of them were of Winry as a child, Winry with Pinako, Winry with Ed and Al, or Winry with the dog. Only one picture of her was with her parents, one that seemed to have been taken when she was very young.

"Where are Winry's parents?" Johanna asked quietly, dreading the answer as she turned to look at Pinako. Pinako stopped, gently placing the Automail on the table.

"Gone, Miss Albrecht. They both died in the war." Pinako frowned. Johanna bit her lip, looking at the ground awkwardly. "My son and his wife were surgeons, they went to the battlefield to do what they could. There were never enough doctors for all the injured soldiers…"

"It was… terrible… the war…" Armstrong sighed. The man seemed hurt, a look that was not found often on his face.

"Yes, it was indeed." Pinako returned to Ed's leg, taking a ratchet to one of the bolts. Johanna turned to the stairs, ready to get out of that heavy room. Pinako paused, watching the girl silently slip away. "Miss Albrecht, I was just about to prepare supper if you were hungry." Johanna shook her head, placing her hand on the banister.

"No, it's okay, I'm not very hungry." Johanna told them, faking a yawn. Johanna couldn't handle any more sad stories, this entire week had been nothing but sadness, and she longed for something more light hearted. Pinako gave her a half smile and Johanna took the stairs two at a time, ready to be in her room.

She could hear tinkering down the hall through a cracked door. Slowly Johanna walked over to it, seeing Winry sitting at a small desk, her back to the door, fiddling with something in front of her. Johanna's stomach hurt watching the girl. She felt bad for her. Johanna had never known her mother, the woman had left when she was a baby, but she knew what it was like to lose a parent. Johanna's father was still missing.

Johanna debated on saying hi, but she knew that was where the conversation would end. Johanna wasn't good with new people. She was awkward and never knew what to say to them, so she decided it was best to leave her with her work. Edward's Automail was more important than anything Johanna would have to say anyways.

Quietly, so as not to disturb Winry, Johanna slunk off down the hall, stopping at the door that was shown to her earlier. Johanna felt bad about taking the spare room that Edward and Al used. Johanna sighed, opening the door.

At some point while she was downstairs her bed had been made up with a comfy looking blanket and a few pillows. Johanna smiled, running a gentle hand over the covers, she looked forward to sleeping in a bed and not on a train.

* * *

Edward arrived back later that night. It was good to get away, to visit his mom's grave, their old house. Edward was disappointed that he couldn't bring Al along, but he'd be willing to make another trip after he fixed him up. Edward was hoping most everyone would be asleep by the time he returned, but he seemed to be having no such luck. The front room was bustling with activity and a few lights were on upstairs as well.

"Jeeze, its like they own the electric company." He muttered sarcastically to the dog who followed him around all day. Den barked his agreement, wagging his tail happily, leading Edward onto the front porch. "I'm home!" Edward said, opening the door.

"Oh Edward Elric!" Major Armstrong greeted him, blubbering his name. The Major met Edward at the door, taking him tightly in his arms, hugging him. Edward groaned, his face growing hot as the Major nearly squeezed him lifeless. "What unyielding love to try and bring your mother back to life! What a tremendous sacrifice to give up your arm in order to transmute your brother's disembodied soul!" Edward had managed to wrestle himself free of Armstrong's clutches, and now he vigorously rubbed his sore sides. The man was strong, even when he was bawling like a baby. "What determination to burn down your own house! To make sure there was no retreat! Come Edward! Allow me to offer you this comforting embrace!" The major tossed off his shirt, causing Ed's mouth to drop in fear.

"Just stay back!" Edward yelled, trying to fend off another advance with his good arm. It was no use and the Major swooped him up again. "Don't rub your chest on me!" Edward had won, pushing Armstrong back enough for him to slip behind the couch.

"How was your day, brother?" Alphonse asked, as Armstrong cried above him. Edward sighed, taking off his jacket and tossing it onto the couch before taking a seat himself.

"It was fine." Edward said quietly, extending his good arm behind his head and stretching. Edward waited for another voice but he was left disappointed. With one eye open he glanced around the room. Pinako was busy with his leg, Armstrong had calmed down enough to fetch the dog a bowl of water and Al sat in his box near Pinako. "Where's Johanna?" Edward asked curiously.

"Miss Albrecht was feeling tired. She went up to her room earlier to lay down." Edward felt his eyebrow twitch.

"Her… room?" He asked, pushing his aggravation to the side. Edward didn't appreciate the spare being taken from him. The cots were so uncomfortable. Pinako nodded, not looking up at him.

"Yes, I'm afraid the story of your mother didn't sit well with her. She was too upset to eat." Edward frowned as the old woman stood up, walking into the kitchen and retrieving a serving tray with a plate of food and a glass of milk on it. "I've made her a plate, maybe you could take it up to her. She's probably hungry by now." Pinako said matter of factly, holding it out for Edward to take.

"Yeah, okay." Edward said quietly, taking the plate and standing up. His anger over the spare room has dissipated, knowing how upset Johanna could possibly be made sure of that. As Edward ascended the stairs, he hoped that she wasn't crying, he hated when women cried.

Her room was fast approaching and he slowed with each passing step. Edward found himself hesitating outside of her room, noticing the door was cracked and the light was on. Edward sighed to himself, realizing he couldn't knock, his one arm was holding her plate.

"Johanna?" Edward said, slowly pushing open the door. Cautiously he peaked his head in. Johanna was soundly sleeping on the bed. She must've been tired, she didn't even make it under the covers. Despite himself, Edward smiled, entering her room and setting the tray on the bedside table. "Johanna?" He took a seat on her bed, wondering if he should continue trying to wake her up. Johanna didn't stir so Edward decided it was a lost cause.

Edward sighed, standing to leave the room, but not before turning off the light. On his way out he debated on whether or not he should go bother Winry. He decided against it, one brush with death was enough for the day.

"Edward?" A fearful voice asked before he had a chance to close the door completely. Edward stopped in his tracks, cursing himself, he should've just let her sleep. Edward turned around, frowning at Johanna.

"I'm sorry I woke you, Granny wanted me to bring you your dinner." He apologized.

"I-It's okay…" Johanna shook her head at him., looking around the room nervously. "C-Can you turn the light back on?" Edward was confused by her question at first, pausing in the doorway. "Please?" Johanna begged, snapping him back to reality.

"Yeah." Edward clicked the light, looking around the room quizzically. The room was empty, the windows closed and locked. Why was she so terrified? There was nothing here. "Is everything okay?"

Johanna felt her cheeks flush. She felt so childish sitting on her bed begging for him to turn the light on. She'd woken up to a dark room, which was scary enough for someone who had a fear of the dark, now she had to fess up to him about it? Johanna didn't need to say a word, the look on her face told Edward everything. The girl couldn't even look at him, she stared at the pillow in shame.

"Are you…. Are you afraid of the dark?" Edward asked her slowly, fighting back laughter. Johanna glared at him.

"NO!" She said defiantly, her cheeks growing even hotter. Edward could no longer contain himself, and he clutched his gut, chuckling as he did. "It's not funny! Nyctophobia is a very common fear among children!"

"Yeah, but you aren't a child!" Edward told her, nearly in tears. Johanna paused, somewhere down deep his words hurt her. Edward sighed, finally overcoming his fit, when he noticed how upset she looked. Then he realized what he'd said.  _You idiot._ He scolded himself.  _She's not a child, but she was the last she can remember._

Edward stepped over to the bed, sitting down quietly on the mattress. Johanna scooted over, feeling the mattress sink her towards him. She still hadn't looked up at him when he placed a gentle hand on top of her head.

"I'm sorry." He told her. Edward truly felt terrible. Johanna remained quiet, picking at the blanket underneath her. "You can be afraid of whatever you want. Plenty of people have fears." He continued.

"What are you afraid of?" Johanna asked after a long pause, catching Edward off guard. He'd rather her just be angry with him and not talk to him than have to answer it. Edward sighed, looking at the ceiling above him.

"I wish I could say that I was afraid of something as simple as the dark. What you're afraid of is something easily fixed, just turn on a light." Edward reached over, clicking the lamp off. Johanna went rigid next to him. It felt like years before he finally clicked it back on. "See? Easy fix." Edward gave Johanna a reassuring smile. Johanna frowned at him. "I'm not afraid of death," Edward scrunched his nose, thinking hard on his next words. "I'm afraid of living while everyone else around me dies. I'm afraid of disappointing them all, failing everyone."

"Then don't." Johanna stated simply. Her reaction caused Edward to take pause, looking at her and waiting to see the joke. There wasn't one, however, and instead she beamed up at him. "Don't let everyone down. You can't fix everything, but you can try, and that's good enough for anyone." Johanna laughed thoughtfully. "See? Easy fix." She parroted back to him.

"I…" Edward had never thought about it that way. She made it sound so simple; maybe it was really that easy.

"I'll help you, as long as you promise to keep the light on." Johanna said pensively. Edward blushed unable to say anything; she had literally left him speechless.

"Yeah, I'll keep the light on." Edward choked out, barely above a whisper. Johanna smiled at him, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow. Gently Edward replaced his hand on her head.  _I promise, I'll keep the light on_.


	7. Chairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward teaches Johanna basic alchemy. She's not very good at it.

Johanna woke up early the next morning. Her room was bright, and silently she rolled over, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Johanna paused, thinking back to the events of yesterday.  _OH god, did I really tell him I was afraid of the dark?_  Her face went pale and she frowned. She definitely did.

Deciding there was nothing left to be done about it, Johanna got out of bed. It only took her a few minutes to get ready, she had unfortunately fallen asleep in her clothes. Johanna ran a quick finger through her curly hair, happy to see it wasn't too knotted, before heading downstairs.

Everyone was already awake, leaving Johanna to feel silly about how late she'd slept in, even though she did indeed rise before 8 am. The living room was only left with a few signs that anybody had slept in there. Man they are industrious.

"Good morning, Miss Albrecht." Pinako spoke from the kitchen table, where she sat reading the paper.

"Good morning." Johanna smiled at the lady who returned the gesture happily. Johanna eagerly searched for Edward and Al, not finding them anywhere.

"I sent Major Armstrong into town to run a few errands, but the boys are outside. I believe they're waiting for you." Pinako told her, already knowing what she was looking for.

"Oh?" Johanna questioned her, heading to the front door. Pinako nodded her head.

"You might want to take this." Pinako held out a black band and Johanna took it stretching it with her fingers.

"A hair band?" Johanna asked, to which she received a chuckle from Pinako. Johanna paused before grabbing the doorknob, now entirely afraid of what waited for her outside.

Den sat on the porch quietly, watching the two boys who sat in the grass. When Johanna joined the pooch on the porch he looked up at her, barking pleasantly.

"Hi boy." She smiled at him, patting his head lightly. Edward and Al both looked up at her, the oldest brother smiling mischievously.

"Good morning sleepy head." He taunted her. Johanna's eye twitched as she swallowed her anger.

"It's eight in the morning." She seethed at him. Edward jumped to his feet.

"Don't waste the day, that's what they say." Edward told her matter of factly, walking over to her. "Today begins day one of the Elric Brother's "Alchemy for Dummies" crash course."

"W-what?" Johanna sputtered.

"You heard me. If you're gonna stick around you may as well be useful." He shot back, stretching his back.

"I'm useful in plenty of ways." Johanna told him angrily. Edward eyed her up and down.

"You can't transmute, so that's minus one point. Can you fight?" He asked her suddenly

 _Fight?_ Johannah thought incredulously. _What exactly do these boys get into?_ Edward cleared his throat and Johanna realized he was waiting for her answer. Johanna's cheeks flushed, she couldn't fight, her father was against it actually. Johanna shook her head quietly.

"So you can't do alchemy and you can't fight." Edward counted off on his fingers. "I'd say that pretty useless." Johanna was a taunt away from snapping when Edward chuckled, placing his hand on her head like he had the night before. "But don't worry, when we're done with you you'll be able to draw a circle like a champ and kick ass with the best yellow belts."

"Isn't yellow belt the lowest belt, Edward?" Johanna asked him, finding his compliment not to really be a compliment. Edward waved her off, walking back to Al.

"We'll just have to make sure your alchemy is better than your martial arts!" He said as he sat down on the ground. Johanna hesitated, debating on taking this chance to run back inside. She was so terrible at science in general, she'd probably be terrible at alchemy. "Hey! Get over here!" Edward barked to her, causing Johanna to jump to attention. "We've only got three days!"

"Fine!" Johanna groused, taking a seat on the ground across from Ed. Quickly she tied her hair back into a ponytail, bummed because it looked decent when she woke up this morning. Johanna noticed In the dirt Ed had drawn a circle, one that Johanna recognized as a basic transmutation circle. She went to press it when Edward stopped her.

"Whoa!" He said, panicked. Johanna jumped where she sat. "In order to use alchemy you have to understand it's principles! You can't just go in transmuting." Edward sighed, rubbing his temples. Johanna felt foolish and her cheeks flushed red. She glanced at Edwards arm, knowing why he got so upset. "So let me give you the crash course." Edward retraced the lines with his fingers, digging them deeper into the soil. "Alchemy, The science of understanding, deconstructing and reconstructing matter…"

* * *

"So the ground is made up of various minerals and elements. I want you to focus on the iron in the soil and transmute a chair." Edward told Johanna confidently. He'd just spent the last hour and a half explaining the laws of alchemy to her, she was ready to finally get into transmutation, Edward's lectures were boring. Johanna rubbed her hands together furiously, ready to go. "Okay, put your hands on the circle and concentrate on the Iron. Focus on the deconstruction of the element and reconstruction into what you want."

Johanna did as she was told, pressing her hands onto the hard earth. Okay, focus, iron into chair, iron into chair. Johanna thought to herself. She placed her hands on the circle and blue sparks sprang forth. From the ground was made a… thing… that was kind of like a chair. It had four legs, but where the seat should be it looked rather painful with spikes and holes, and the back was a single spike.

"That's… uh…" Edward trailed off, glancing at his brother. Johanna sighed, looking at the ground.

"I told you I would be bad at this." She said quietly. Edward frowned, standing up as he did.

"It's not bad for your first time." Edward said, walking up to the construction. He put his hand out, placing it on the seat, only to have it crackle to the ground underneath its paltry weight. Edward paused, looking at the pile of dust on the ground. He couldn't help himself and he burst out laughing.

"Yeah laugh it up!" Johanna growled at him, ready to pounce. She searched desperately for a short joke, but found there wasn't one, and instead chose to glare silently at the ground, trying to ignore his chuckles.

"You'll have to excuse my brother, he was always the prodigy of the family." Al spoke up, glaring at Edward. Edward stopped laughing, sighing heavily. "My first transmutation was supposed to be a dog made of dirt, but it ended up looking more like a modern art horror story." Alphonse chuckled lightly thinking back to that day. "Mom kept it anyways, she always said she liked mine better." Alphonse glanced up at Johanna, if he could, she was sure he'd be smiling at her. "What I'm saying is don't give up, just try again. Do you remember what the circle looked liked?"

"Uh huh…" Johanna nodded.

"Good. You draw it out, you might get a better transmutation out of it if you do it." Alphonse told her matter of factly. Edward watched as Johanna drew in the dirt. He smiled to himself, thinking of what Alphonse had just said. Edward remembered that day very well, it was both of their first transmutations and Al was right, his did look awful.

Johanna finished drawing her circle, sitting back and admiring it. It wasn't nearly as perfect as Edward's had been, but it didn't look half bad. Edward stepped up behind her, looking at it over her shoulder.

"Now, try again." He said. Johanna nodded, hesitantly placing her hands on the circle. Again Edward stopped her, shaking his head. "You have to mean it when you do it. Don't be scared. The worst thing that could happen is you transmute another flimsy chair." Edward frowned as he said those words; he knew that wasn't the worst thing that could happen.

Johanna took a deep breath, this time concentrating even harder on what she was doing. She visualized a simple chair in the middle of the room, the one she wanted to make, before concentrating on the deconstruction and reconstruction of her material.  
Again, blue sparks flew, but this time they seemed to emit more power. They were bigger and brighter than the last time and Johanna's eyes widened in anticipation. The ground moved underneath her and from the earth was made a perfect chair. It looked exactly like she'd envision.

"I did it!" Johanna yelled happily, looking back at Edward. Edward grinned down at her, pumping his fist.

"See what did I tell you? Easy!" Edward said as he touched the chair with his hand. Johanna held her breath, waiting for it to crack under his touch, but it stood stalwart and strong. Slowly, Edward rounded the chair, taking a cautious seat. It held him up and again Edward grinned, turning to look at Johanna. "Wow this is actually pretty GAH-"

Before Johanna knew what happened, the chair underneath Edward cracked and he felt to the ground in a heap of dust. Johanna bit her lip, trying to hold back her laughter as he fumbled to sit up.

A fit of giggles broke through the still air, but they weren't Johanna's. Al sat in his box around the circle, laughing heartily. He hadn't seen something that funny in so long, not since they were kids. The look on Edward's face as the chair broke underneath him, it was sheer panic.

"Oh brother! The look on your face, it was priceless." Al said through chuckles. Edward glared at his younger brother; his cheeks red with embarrassment, and Johanna couldn't contain her giggles anymore.

Johanna joined in on the laughter, which only caused her an Al to laugh more. Edward, still in the dirt, put his hand on his hip, glaring off into the distance.

"Still needs more work! Your transmutations are shoddy at best!" He yelled at Johanna. Johanna clutched her sides, they hurt from the laughing fit she'd just shared with the youngest Elric.

"I'll just keep practicing." Johanna said once she'd stopped laughing. Johanna stood, taking a deep breath and holding out a hand for Edward to take. He stared at it suspiciously, his eyes wide. "It's my hand, Edward. I promise it wont let you fall." Johanna reassured him. Edward took her hand, allowing Johanna to help him to his feet.

Again she sunk to her knees, drawing another circle in the dirt. Edward glared at Al, striking him upside his head as Johanna sketched out the array.

"I think I'm finally getting the hang of this." Johanna told the brother happily, placing her hands on the circle as blue glimmered around her hands.

* * *

It was nearly dark outside, and still Johanna sat in the dirt practicing. She'd made what felt like a thousand chairs out of the dirt underneath her, but something was always wrong with one of them. Edward sat quietly in one of her many constructions, watching her work.

It was weird seeing her struggle with transmutation circles, considering how easily she'd built that wall in East City. It wasn't just massive, but it was also sturdy, effectively blocking several bullets and saving his life for a second time that same day.

"Do you remember anything that happened in East City?" Edward asked her suddenly. Johanna stopped what she was doing, her newest transmutation circle half inscribed in the ground.

"I remember Scar… and your arm exploding." Johanna told him quietly. Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "I remember you transmuted without a circle." Johanna clapped her hands thoughtfully; mimicking what he did that day. Johanna looked at them as she held them together, something seemed familiar about this scenario. Edward's breath caught in his throat, he desperately wanted her to put them to the ground, he wanted to see her transmute again, the way she did that day. Johanna looked up at him quietly, studying his arms.

"Don't suppose you can teach me how to do that now, can you?" Johanna gestured to her right arm. Edward chuckled lightly.

"No, I imagine that's a lesson for another day…" He trailed off, watching as she went back to drawing her circle. "Do you remember anything else?" He pried a little bit further.

Johanna stopped what she was doing once more, thinking hard on it. The last thing she remembered was Colonel Mustang coming in, everything after that was a blur. Sadly she shook her head, watching Edward quietly. He shifted in his chair.

"I want you to do something for me." Edward said suddenly. Johanna tilted her head, watching him confused. "Erase that circle first."

"What?" Johanna asked him, baffled. She'd just finished it and it looked like her best one yet.

"You heard me, erase the circle." Edward told her again. Johanna sighed, begrudgingly doing as she was told. "Good, now I want you to concentrate on your transmutation, like you were doing earlier, but this time before you transmute, clap your hands together."

"What?! I can't do that!" Johanna was really confused. She didn't think transmutation without a circle was possible until the other day, until she saw him do it, and now he wanted her to try it?

"Will you stop arguing with me and just do it." Edward said, perturbed. He was antsy to see her do it again and her questions were getting on his nerves. Johanna glared at him, huffing and crossing her arms. Edward sighed, realizing how mean he'd probably sounded. It was time to change his approach "Please?"

"Fine." Johanna said after a few seconds. Johanna looked at the ground underneath her, thinking hard on the elements she would need, and the chair she was going to make. Johanna clapped her hands together, the sound echoing through the air. Edward sat on the edge of his seat, waiting impatiently as Johanna slammed her hands to the ground, concentrating hard on what she was doing.  
Seconds went by and nothing happened. Slowly Johanna opened her eyes, looking for the typical blue light that happened when she transmuted. There was nothing, only a cloud of dust where her hands hit the ground. Edward frowned, disappointed, before standing up and walking over to Johanna. She looked up at him sadly, shaking her head. "See… I told you."

"No, it's okay. Transmuting without a circle is rare." Edward looked around happily at the several chairs that were still intact. "You did good for your first day, I think we can move on to something other than chairs tomorrow."


	8. You Jerk!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tempers flare

The next day was the same as before and come nightfall, Johanna was tired. Edward had her building bigger things, walls, staircases; he even tried to get her to transmute a miniature dog house. Now they were working on moving the earth in different directions. This was tiring and took a lot of energy and concentration to get right. Johanna was finding she was out of shape for alchemy and after the fifth column Edward had made her transmute, she fell back to the earth, exhausted.

"You didn't move the earth far enough though. Try again." Edward said from across the driveway. Johanna looked up at him in disbelief.

"Ed, I'm tired, can we please take a break?" Johanna asked him from the ground. Edward groaned at her, hand on hip.

"If we keep taking breaks you'll never learn anything!"

"And if we don't take a break my hands will fall off! I'm not used to this yet! I'm tired okay?" Johanna reasoned with him, her voice snappy. Al sat quietly in his box, hoping they wouldn't start fighting. Johanna was coming so far in her crash course, she was doing so well, the least brother could do was let her have a break.

"We don't have time to give you a break. Things are dangerous out there and we don't have time to keep you safe!" Edward snapped at Johanna. Johanna sat up quietly where she laid, getting to her knees.

 _How dare he? I am NOT some damsel! I didn't ask for this!_ Johanna thought quietly to herself, glaring at the ground. He's been working me to the bone all week, five minutes isn't too much to ask. Edward grinned as Johanna began to draw a circle, feeling like he'd won. Seeing the look on his face made Johanna even angrier and she growled as she finished her circle, pressing her hands to the dirt. From the ground sprang a large column, which headed straight in Edward's direction. Edward's eyes went wide with shock as the rock hurtled towards him, and without his arm he was completely defenseless. Edward tried to jump, but the rock collided with his side. If it had been a stronger transmutation it could have done some serious damage, but the rocks were weak and they fell to pieces on contact. The effect, however was the same, and the pillar sent Edward sprawling across the driveway, rolling a few times before coming to a complete stop. Johanna clapped the dirt from her hands smugly, standing up and glaring at Edward's heap. Edward rolled, coughing once before pushing himself off the ground.

"Are you crazy! You could've killed me you jerk!" Edward growled at Johanna. Al sighed in his box, helplessly watching the pair scream at each other. He knew this would happen eventually, yesterday went far too well.

"I'm the jerk?! I'M THE JERK?!" Johanna stomped up to him, towering over him. "I'VE SPENT THE PAST DAY AND A HALF DESPERATELY TRYING TO LEARN WHAT YOU TWO HAD YEARS TO PRACTICE AND WHEN I WANNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK I'M THE JERK." Johanna growled, raising her first in frustration. "You are SO SELFISH sometimes!"

"Me?! You just hit me in the face with a pillar of rocks!" Edward argued with her. Johanna's eyes darkened and she gritted her teeth.

"Great aim too, considering how small you are!" She shot back without thinking.

"I am NOT SMALL!" Edward bellowed practically jumping to his feet. "I'm taller than you and not nearly as incompetent!" Edward's words echoed off the house and out into the fields. Al felt his heart sink as Johanna's shoulders dropped. Her once fiery eyes dulled out and she heaved a heavy sigh. Edward's words hit Johanna hard and any wind she had in her sails was gone in an instant. She sighed, narrowing her eyes and looking down at the ground. She didn't want to look at Edward anymore; she didn't want him to look at her anymore. Johanna was going to cry and she felt like if he saw her do that, he would win.

"You're right." Johanna said finally, taking off for the front porch and heading into the house. Edward watched her go, sighing as he pushed himself to his knees.

"Brother." Al said quietly. Edward glared over at him, giving Al his best bitch face. Al growled under his breath. "You don't have to be so mean! She's been working so hard since yesterday morning!"

"Yeah, well you and I both know half-assed walls and barely functional chairs aren't going to cut it, Al." Edward said bitterly. Edward had been disillusioned a while ago and he felt like it was that cynicism that saved him time and time again.

"You big jerk! Go apologize to her right now!"

"What?! I'm not apologizing to her! SHE HIT ME WITH A MOUNTAIN ALPHONSE! She-" over the air Edward heard a faint sound, silencing him completely. Are those sobs? Edward and Al both glanced up, noticing the window to Johanna's room was open.

"You hurt her feelings. Go apologize to her, brother." Al told him again. Edward sighed, looking over at him. He silently got to his feet, walking over to the porch.

"I'll send The Major out for you." Edward told Alphonse, grabbing his jacket off of the banister.

"It's fine, I want to sit out a bit longer anyways." The younger Elric said, Edward gave Al a weak smile, turning to the door and opening it. Major Armstrong and Pinako were both inside and when he came in. They both gave him disappointed looks, which only left him feeling even worse. "I'm going, I'm going." Edward said, throwing on his jacket.

"Edward, I understand how frustrating it is teaching someone new things, but you have to remember how frustrating it was learning something new." Pinako told him quietly. Edward stopped on the steps, his eyes never leaving the top of the flight.

Slowly Edward journeyed up the stairs, one step at a time. He heard Winry working diligently in her room, something he was thankful for because he knew shed be waiting for him with a wrench if he heard the way he'd made Johanna cry.

Johanna sat quietly on her bed, her face buried in her pillow. Her eyes already hurt from crying, and she hated herself for letting him get to her like that.  _It's true though_. She thought to herself.  _You are useless. What're you gonna do if you get in another fight with Scar? Cry him into submission?_  Johanna shuddered at the thought. There was a slight knocking at her door, causing Johanna's head to snap to attention.

"Hey, it's me. Can I come in?" Edward's voice asked from the other side of the door. Johanna glared at the wood.

"No." She sniffed angrily. Edward sighed looking at his feet. He shoved his arm into the pocket of his jacket, feeling a piece of paper buried in it. Slowly he pulled it out, looking at it quietly. It was the picture of Johanna and her father that Edward took from Doctor Albrecht's notebook. Edward said nothing, instead he bent over, slowly slipping the paper under the door to her room.

Johanna waited for his response, but Edward remained quiet. Movement under her door caught her attention and Johanna looked at the ground. A piece of paper was being slipped into her room through the crack under her door. Footsteps trailed down the hall and it wasn't until she heard them on the stairs that Johanna moved to pick up the paper. She debated on ripping it to shreds, not wanting to accept his apology, but it was heavier than typical writing paper. Slowly Johanna flipped it around.

She was greeted with two smiling faces, the first of which she noticed was her dad. He was younger in this picture, as it was taken a few years prior, evidenced by how young Johanna was in it. They both seemed so happy, which was the polar opposite of what she'd known the past couple days.  
Slowly Johanna sat back on the floor in the middle of the room. Her hands shook as she studied the picture. Feeling tears welling in her eyes, Johanna clutched the picture to her chest, rocking back and forth. She missed her dad so much, all she wanted was to see him again, something that she was certain would never happen again.

Johanna found herself feeling more determined now than ever. She wanted to be better at alchemy, she wanted to make her dad proud. If Johanna could it, she felt it would bring her closer to her father, which is where Johanna wanted to be.

* * *

Johanna woke up earlier the next morning, the sun was bare crested over the horizon by the time she'd made it outside. She applauded herself for not waking anyone on her way out, except Den, who refused to stay behind.

"If you're coming you can't get in the way, okay?" She told the dog once they were outside. He yipped excitedly and Johanna laughed, putting a finger to her lips. Johanna patted Den's head, running off behind the house. The field back there was massive, plenty of room to practice. On her way out she picked up a long, sharp, stick, the sight of which caused Den to bounce around excitedly. Johanna chuckled at him shaking her head. "Its not for you, silly. I need it to draw my circles!" She told him. Den sighed sadly, sniffing at the ground.

Once they were far enough out into the field. Johanna stopped, taking a good look around. The grass was kind of long, but it was short enough to where she could still etch her circle. Slowly but surely Johanna being to carve the array that Edward had shown her into the field. This should be a decent target.

Johanna stepped back a few feet, etching another circle into the ground with her long stick. She debated on dropping it, but then she saw how hungrily Den eyed it. Slowly she stuck it in her belt loop, grinning mischievously at the dog.

"You can have the stick when I'm done, Den, I promise." Johanna rubbed her hands together, staring at the circle on the ground. It was daunting, but she knew what she was trying to do. She was going to hit one of those pillars with this dirt. Johanna knelt next to the circle, throwing her hands on top of it. Blue sparks crackled under her hands and the ground shot up. The pillar stretched out in front of her and Johanna watched in amazement as it spiraled towards the rock tower she'd built for a target. The pillar missed to the left, by about five feet, and Johanna frowned. "Dammit." Johanna hissed as the pillar crackled and fell to the ground, littering the field with rocks and debris. Again, a few feet away, she drew another circle, clapping it to life. Another pillar jumped forward, this time going wide right before breaking apart. Johanna growled, frustrated with herself.

Johanna quickly fished out the picture of her father, staring at it a long while. Taking a deep breath, she placed the picture on the ground next to the site of her latest circle. I'm going to do this. She thought as she stood, staring down at the picture. Johanna, feeling determination flow through her, slammed her hands down onto the array. Around Johanna the air filled with bursts of blue electricity. It popped to life in a bigger display than Johanna had seen since the start of her Alchemy lessons. She could feel the earth shifting violently under her, it wanted to move, she could feel it.

"GO!" Johanna yelled, mentally directly the dirt away from her and towards the first pillar she created. The dirt obeyed and in an instant it shot out of the ground, hurtling towards the first pillar. Johanna winced as a loud crack filled the air, breaking the early dawn silence. The stone tower cracked in half from the force of the hit, and the top of the tower fell to the ground with a solid thud. "I did it…" Johanna whispered in shock. She jumped into the air, her fist high, and she bent over to pick up the picture of her and her father. "I DID IT!" She yelled to his image, hugging it tightly to her chest. Johanna carried on for a few more seconds, whooping and hollering with excitement when voices rang out from the house.

"Johanna!" A loud, boisterous voice came from up the hill. Johanna turned to see Major Armstrong, Al in tow, and Edward barreling down the hill for her, all still in their pajamas. Johanna kissed the picture, pocketing it happily.

"We heard a loud crack! What the hell happened? Are you okay?" Edward asked, running up to her and looking around. The field behind her was a wreck, debris and dirt everywhere. Johanna grinned at him excitedly pointing behind her at the smashed pillars.

"I. Did. It." She told him happily. Edward stared at her in shock.

"And they stayed in one piece?" Edward stammered, flabbergasted, recalling being hit with a pillar very similar to this one. Except different. This pillar was powerful, transmuted perfectly and still completely intact unlike the one that hit him yesterday. Edward, finally over his initial shock, grinned widely at her. "Do it again." He said finally.

Johanna was happy to oblige him, and she hopped to it, unsheathing her stick and drawing out another array. Once she was finished she threw the stick to the side, glancing back at Edward to make sure that he was watching. Edward gave her a big thumbs up and Johanna returned to her array, slamming her palms down onto it. It produced the same result, a massive shockwave of energy, preceded by a giant pillar, jutting out to strike the other. The two rock formations clashed loudly, the newest pillar breaking the first as they collided.

Edward stared wide-eyed at what just happened. That transmutation was perfect, it looked like a transmutation of someone who had been practicing alchemy for years. Johanna looked at him for reassurance, and slowly he took a few steps forward.

"That… was… incredible." Edward sputtered out, glancing up at Al. Alphonse shook his head, and if he'd been able to he would have shrugged. She was doing well on her lessons, but compare today to yesterday he never would have guessed that that was Johanna's transmutation.

"That was beautiful Johanna!" Major Armstrong blubbered, dropping Al and grabbing her up in his arms. Johanna squirmed as he squeezed her, turning his sights on Edward and Al. "Oh, Elric Brothers! You're amazing teachers! Your zeal and determination are rivaled only by your knowledge of alchemy!" Major Armstrong scooped Edward up into his other arm, now holding both of them to his bare chest. "To think, Johanna, a mere novice, is already capable of such transmutation! You must be so proud!"

"GAHHHH MAJOR NO!" Edward yelled, pushing himself away from him.

"Major please! I can't breath!" Johanna pleaded with him.

"For the first time since I've been in here, I'm finally glad I'm in a box." Alphonse said happily watching as both his brother and Johanna wrestled against the strong man.


	9. Good As New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are repaired

The rest of our time spent at Winry's passed quickly. Seeing how well Johanna took to her alchemy training, Edward decided to teach her some basic weapon transmutation. It took her a bit, weapons weren't her forte, but after nearly and entire afternoon she'd managed to make a pretty decent long sword. The last day was the long one. It was long awaited day three and Edward was antsy, his lessons not very well put together. He didn't even get dressed, just pouted around in his boxers and under shirt.

"So when're you gonna teach me how to actually use this thing?" Johanna asked him quietly, haphazardly flailing the sword around. Edward didn't answer however, and Johanna turned around to find both him and Den sprawled out in the grass next to Al's box. "Really?!" Johanna huffed, stabbing the sword into the ground. Edward turned, his attention piqued, but he didn't stand up. Instead he heaved a heavy sigh, his eyes still on the clouds. Johanna approached the boys, quietly laying in the grass next to them.

"They said three days, right?" Alphonse asked his brother, glancing over at Johanna. Johanna rolled her eyes, she was coming to find that patience wasn't Edward's strong suit.

"So, give 'em three days." Johanna finished, reaching over to pet Den. The dog wiggled happily on the ground, kicking his foot as Johanna found his spot.

"Yeah, I know, I know. But every time I think of a clue hidden somewhere in Central Library I get so impatient!" Edward said, flailing his arms and legs. Johanna chuckled, looking up at the clouds above her. She reached her hand up, trying to grab one and obviously failing.

"Haven't you ever heard 'Patience is a virtue'?" Johanna asked Edward matter of factly. Edward groaned.

"Yeah. All the time from the hag inside and The Colonel." He made a face of distaste, turning to look at Johanna. Johanna laughed again, leaning up on her elbow, just as Winry ran from the house, an Automail arm in tow. Edward followed Johanna's gaze, overcome with excitement. He never thought he'd be so happy to see his arm back in one piece.

"Here you go! It's all ready!" Winry told him happily. Edward stood. Immediately running off to the house.

* * *

Edward had changed, and waited patiently in the living room for his new arm and leg to be attached. Everyone gathered around, ready to see him walking on his own leg and using his own arm again.

"Ready?" Pinako asked him quietly. Begrudgingly, Edward shook his head. He hated this part, it was the worst part, connecting the nerves. He glanced up at Johanna, wondering if she'd ever seen anything like this before, but he didn't have long to think on it. Pinako and Winry had already counted down to three and turned the wrenches, locking his arm and leg into place. He groaned in pain, the feeling of it something he could never get used to.

"That's the worst part every time, when the nerves connect like that." He muttered to himself. Johanna frowned at him from across the room, her eyes wide, and Edward threw her a smile. "Once we have the philosopher's stone I can kiss that pain goodbye!" He told the room, mostly to reassure her.

"Our biggest source of income. I'll be sad to see you go." Pinako said half heartedly, turning her wrench again, eliciting another scream of agony from Ed.

"Hold still. Do you want me to do this right or not?" Winry scolded him. Johanna couldn't blame him, she didn't think she'd be able to sit still either. Winry began to gush about her Automail and Edward rolled his eyes.

"Crazy gear head…" He muttered under his breath. Winry glared at the boy.

"You're lost without me, alchemy freak."

"Alright, we're done." Pinako told Edward. he jumped to his feet, stretching his new arm and leg happily. "Well, does it feel alright?"

"Yeah… It feels good." Edward told them, grinning. Winry began to talk to Edward about his arms new specs, but the boy didn't care. In a second he was out side, grabbing Johanna's arm as he ran past her.

"Al! It's your turn!" Edward yelled, running over to the box where Alphonse sat, patiently waiting. Edward began to fish his pieces out of the box, setting them up neatly on the ground in front of him.

"You can fix him right here?" Johanna asked him dumbly.

"Yep." Edward stood, admiring his work. "You have to know the trick to it, though." He told her with a grin. Slowly he removed Alphonse's head, causing Johanna's stomach to turn. "You see that seal on the inside of his back?" Edward asked her, pointing it out. Johanna dared to look, the nausea fading. She saw it clear as day, a circle with an eight pointed star.

"Yeah, right there?" Johanna pointed at it. Edward smacked her hand away, apparently she was getting to close to it.

"That's the medium between Al's soul and the armor. So I have to be sure not to ruin it." Edward told her, an explanation as to why he slapped her hand. Johanna nodded her head in understanding, taking a step back as Edward cracked his knuckles. "Alright, step back and watch the master work." he said, clapping his hands together. Once he'd made the clap, he touched the ground beneath Al's body and almost instantly Alphonse began to pull himself together again.

"That's amazing." Johanna gawked, watching as Al stood up, flexing his arms and legs. "You look great, Al!"

"There you go, good as new." Edward told his younger brother. Edward's face shifted to one of deviance and looked up at his brother. "You ready to try it out?"

"Yeah!" Alphonse said happily, slinging his arm at Edward's head. Edward dodged the sucker punch, but not before getting in a kick of his own.  
Johanna's jaw dropped as Pinako grabbed her by her elbow, tearing her away from the boys for her own safety. She watched the brothers spar, throwing kicks and punches, not holding anything back.

"Is that… Is that normal?" Johanna asked no one in particular. Pinako nodded, puffing on her pipe, watching them silently.

"You get used to it after a while." She chuckled, sighing as she watched them. "It'll be quiet around here with out those boys."

* * *

Edward decided they would leave first thing tomorrow morning, and Johanna was certain it was because he was exhausted. Edward and Al sparred nearly all day, and when they weren't sparring they were visiting their mother's grave. It was no surprise when Edward passed out right after dinnertime.  
Johanna had just finished helping with the dishes when she entered the living room. Alphonse stood over his brother, watching him quietly.

"Sleeping with his tummy out again. What am I gonna do with him?" Alphonse said to himself. Edward sat on the couch, snoring away, no blanket, no clothes.

"It's almost like you're the older one, huh Al?" Johanna asked him quietly, crossing to the stack of blankets and pillows Pinako had left out. Al chuckled as I spread the blanket out, covering Edward.

"He's can be a handful. Someone has to look after him." Johanna stood quietly next to the younger brother, leaning her head on his cold arm.

"He's lucky to have you." Johanna told him quietly.

"He's lucky to have us both." Al corrected her. Johanna kept forgetting that she was now part of the group.

"Thank you," Johanna said suddenly, pulling her head from Al's shoulder. "Both of you." Alphonse turned to look at her.

"What for?" He asked her.

"For bringing me along, for teaching me alchemy." Johanna sighed, rubbing her eyes. They burned, she was going to cry. "I promise I won't be a burden." She said quietly. Johanna's new life was confusing and catastrophic; she missed the times when she was a carefree little girl. "I know it's going to be hard but, I'm glad you guys are so willing to be here for me. Now that my dad's gone, it's nice to have someone, even if we just met, so, thank you."

"You weren't a burden, even before we taught you alchemy. Brother may never say it, but I think he's happy you're coming along." Alphonse paused, glancing down at Edward. "He thinks we're fine on our own, but it does get lonely, even if we have each other." Johanna brought her hands to her eyes, rubbing the tears away. "There's no turning back now, you're one of us, so… Welcome to the family, Johanna." Alphonse told her happily. Johanna grinned up at him, replacing her head on his shoulder. She decided she liked the Elric brothers, and she liked the Rockbell's. Even if the road to get here was messed up, Johanna was glad that it led her here.

Edward wasn't kidding when he said they were leaving first thing in the morning. He was at Johanna's door before it was even light out making sure she was up and ready to go. Thankfully Winry had been there earlier to see her off.

_"It's not much but, I've gathered all of the clothes I could find in that size for you. Some winter, some not." Winry told her, handing her a small, black suitcase. "And there's an extra pair of boots just in case." Johanna took the suitcase out of Winry's hands gently, looking at it, afraid it would disappear at any moment._

_"Th-This is for me?" Johanna stammered looking up at the girl in disbelief._

_"Yeah, I figured you'd need more than one pair of clothes right? Especially if you're going to be running around with them. They're always getting dirty or-" Johanna couldn't contain herself and before she knew what she was doing, Johanna wrapped her arms around Winry's shoulders, hugging her tightly. Winry paused, awkwardly at first, before she returned the embrace, squeezing her tightly. "Take care of everyone, okay?"_

_"I will." Johanna told her, shaking her head in agreement. "I'll make sure he goes easy on the new arm, too." Johanna sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes._

_"The arms a bit more durable than I let on, but don't tell him that. He'll go overboard." Winry joked. Johanna understood, from what she knew of Edward Elric, he seemed reckless enough. "Take care of yourself too, and don't let them forget that you're a lady. They're not inconsiderate, but they get tunnel vision sometimes."_

_"I wont." Johanna sniffed, taking her new suitcase in her hand again. Winry smiled at her, turning back to the door._

_"You'd better get ready, I think Edward is already up downstairs." Winry warned Johanna. Johanna listened intently to the noise coming from the first floor, someone was awake down there, and already on a tear. Johanna rolled her eyes, sounds like Edward and Pinako are going at it again._

"Where is Winry?" Al asked, bringing Johanna from her thoughts.

"Resting. She's stayed up three nights in a row. Want me to wake her?" Pinako asked. Edward sighed, throwing his hand up.

"No, that's okay… She'd just nag me." Edward huffed, turning to walk down the street. "Make sure to do your maintenance or whatever." Johanna shook her head at him, taking her suitcase in her hands as well, before turning to Pinako.

"Thank you for letting me stay here, Mrs Rockbell." Johanna said, bowing to her.

"Any friend of those boys is a friend of our's, and please, call me Pinako." The old woman winked at Johanna, putting a surprisingly soft hand on her cheek. Johanna smiled at her, turning to follow Ed, Al and Major Armstrong down the road. "Hold on a second boys!" Pinako called to them. The entire group turned and the woman smiled at them. "You should come back once in a while and have dinner with us."

"You want us to come all this way into the mountains just for some dinner?" Edward laughed at her, but he did miss them. Maybe they would come back sooner rather than later.

"Edward, Alphonse!" A voice called from the top floor. Winry had stepped out of her room, her hair in shambles and wearing a large nightshirt and shorts. "Come back soon, 'kay? Oh and Johanna, you too alright?"

"Of course!" Johanna told the girl, waving at her. Winry smiled at them, looking like she was ready to pass out at any moment as once again Edward started off down the dirt road back to the train station.


	10. Farenheit 451

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Central Branch Burns! Our hero's search for a lost book!

The train ride to Central seemed to take no time at all in comparison to the ride out to Resembool. Even if it did seem shorter, Johanna was itching to get off the train and as soon as it pulled into the station she made for the door.

"Looks like somebody was ready to go." Edward huffed as he, Al and Major Armstrong finally caught up to her.

"Trains make me motion sick." Johanna shrugged, stretching as she did. Johanna noticed the station at Central seemed to be bustling with activity and she raised her brow suspiciously.

"-The fire was HUGE! I could see it from my house!"

"No way! How did it happen?" She heard a few of the passersby say excitedly.

"What do you think they're all huffy about?" Edward asked, watching them walk past. He eyed a group of them huddled over a newspaper with growing suspicion, he wanted badly to snatch it from their hands.

"Not sure... Something about a fire. I could ask if you want?" Johanna offered, her curiosity also piqued.

"Nah, I'm not too worried about it. We gotta get to the library anyways." Edward brushed off, slinging his suitcase over his shoulder.

"Wait up brother!" All called, running off after Edward. Johanna hesitated, watching the nearest newspaper stand.

"What is it Johanna?" Major Armstrong asked. "Are you feeling okay?" Johanna shook her head and smiled.

"It's nothing, I guess i just spaced out." Johanna lied. Again her eyes flickered over to the paper stand, before she too picked up her suitcase. "Let's catch up to the before they get themselves in trouble."

"Yes madam. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, I promise." It wasn't a total lie. She wasn't ill or injured but a feeling in the pit of her stomach left her uneasy. Call it a woman's intuition but  **something**  told her that that fire was important.

* * *

As they approached the library, Johanna's unease didn't lessen. Military personnel ran back and forth excitedly, yelling and shouting orders. A vague smell of fire caught Johanna's nose and she shared a look with Edward. He smelled it too.

"Excuse me," Edward said, catching the attentions of a nearby soldier.

"What's going on here?" He flashed his pocket watch and Johanna lost interest, her eyes falling to a newspaper that had been discarded on the street. Johanna walked over, picking it up and reading the front page. She gasped in shock, the headline reading:  **FIRST BRANCH BURNS!**

"Late last night the first branch of the National Central Library caught fire in what appears to be an act of arson..." Johanna read quietly to herself. It seemed she'd finally caught Edward's attention, as both Elric brothers slowly approached her. Johanna frowned at them, her eyes trailing from the boys to the paper in her hands. Slowly she held it out for Edward to take. He snatched it from her greedily, reading the front page. Edward gasped.

 _No way! This can't be happening!_ **FIRST BRANCH BURNS!**  It was like the paper was mocking him! Edward turned on his heel, darting past the soldiers and around the corner.

"Brother!" Alphonse called, watching as Edward took the corner. Johanna groaned, grabbing Al's metal hand and pulling him after his brother.

"Come on, we better catch up." Johanna sighed as they turned the corner. Her eyes fell to Edward before she even bothered looking at the building. Edward glared up at the ruins before him, both fists clenched at his sides. Johanna noticed he was shaking furiously, the newspaper still clutched in his hand.  
Johanna frowned at him, her eyes drifting to the building to her left. The ruins still sat smoldering, the fresh fire smell heavier here than down the street. Johanna sniffed, the paper was right, the First Branch had indeed burned to the ground.

"Uhg! It's all gone!" Edward growled, his shoulders dropping considerably. Al dropped Johanna's hand, both brother's slouched in defeat. Again she looked at the ruins, shaking her head. There had to be something there. Silently, Johanna approached the building, tearing at the caution tape that had been placed at the doorway.

"What... What are you doing?" Edward asked despondently. Johanna turned, grinning at him mischievously.

"Do you wanna look around or are we done here? Because to be honest, I'm tired and I'd rather go to the hotel." Johanna told him, the mischievous grin never leaving her face. Edward paused, shocked at her words. Johanna was going to look through the debris with them? Edward stood, re-composing himself before looking at Al.

"Alright, let's hurry up so Queen Shiva here can get her beauty rest." Edward teased, causing Johanna's face to turn red.

"You jerk!" Johanna yelled, clenching her fists. She watched as he grew ever closer to her, muttering something about 'god only knows she needs it.'  _I'm going to hit him, right in his smug face!_

* * *

It didn't take long for them to realize that nothing really remained of the First Branch. Johanna frowned as she tossed another pile of burnt wood to the side. Soot flew from the debris and Johanna coughed as it blew into her face.

"There's nothing here but ashes." Edward sighed from a few feet away. He tried to pick up what remained of a book, only to have it crumble in his hands.  
"I'll keep looking, there has to be something left." Johanna told him, walking off to the remains of several book shelves. Edward watched he go, smiling as she grabbed something from the shelf, only to have the entire structure crumble around her. Sheepishly she stepped away from it, rubbing her hands on her pants. If she wasn't ready to give up then neither was he.

"Major Armstrong!" Johanna turned, startled at the new voice. Behind them, at the door way, sat two soldiers, both saluting.  
"Oh, second Lieutenant Ross and Sargent Brosch. To what do we owe the pleasure?" Major Armstrong said sounding surprised to see them here. Johanna joined Edward and Alphonse at the door.

"You have been ordered to report back to the Command Center!" The woman with short black hair, Lieutenant Ross, told Alex.

"We will be taking over supervision of the Elric brothers and Johanna Albrecht, sir!" The man said, both soldiers easing off their salutes. "Effective immediately."

"Very well then, They're yours." Johanna felt her jaw drop and Edward groaned from next to her.

"What is this? Just when I think we're home free they saddle us with more body guards?" He whined. Johanna had to agree, she felt rather silly walking around with baby sitters. "This is getting old!"

* * *

"All might not be lost. There's a woman who was well acquainted with the materials in the first branch." Second Lieutenant Ross told them. Johanna, Edward and Alphonse had followed Ross and Brosch to their waiting car and now the five of them sat awkwardly in the tiny space. Johanna groaned, sighing up at Alphonse. He took up most of the room, leaving Edward and Johanna squished into the doors.

"Really?" Edward asked, his attention piqued. Ross nodded, a tight frown finding a way to her face.

"Unfortunately, she wasn't working there at the time of the fire." Edward groaned, crossing his arms.

"Well that sounds incredibly helpful." He muttered sarcastically.

"Brother!" Al scolded, shoving him with his elbow. "Be nice, Lieutenant Ross and Sargent Brosch have been really helpful!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Edward brushed him off, looking out of the window. Johanna shook her head, her attention returning to the soldiers in front of her. She couldn't help but noticed the way Sargent Brosch stared at Alphonse and her.

"Is something wrong?" Alphonse asked suddenly, apparently he had noticed as well.

"Oh nothing!" Brosch stuttered, realizing he had been caught staring. Johanna narrowed her eyes at him and he swallowed nervously. "Although, if you don't mind me asked, why are you wearing a suit of armor? And miss, your tattoos, are they a part of a gang initiation?"

Johanna's eyes widened and she looked to Edward for help as she readjusted the collar of her shirt. Now that she was completely self conscious, Johanna slouched back into her seat, staring uncomfortably at her thighs.

"It's uh... a hobby they both enjoy..." Edward said unsure of himself. Brosch and Ross exchanged looks, as if the didn't believe them. "So... Lovely day isn't it guys?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's gorgeous!" Al squeaked, looking down at Johanna. He frowned inwardly as she bit her lip, arms crossed tightly across her chest.

"So uh, so this woman. Do you know where she lives?" Johanna asked quietly, not looking up from the window.

"We're already in route." Ross told her quietly, the obvious awkward tension heavy in the air.

* * *

The car pulled up to a small apartment building a few minutes later. It was cute, seemed to be in a nice neighborhood. Johanna was ready to have space to move again and she happily stretched as she hopped out.

"This is it, huh?" Edward asked, following Johanna's lead.

"Yes, she lives in apartment 302. Her name is Cheska." Brosche informed them as he helped Ross out of the car. Johanna watched the pair suspiciously, a small smiling playing on her face.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Edward said happily, walking up to the front door. It didn't take long to find Cheska's apartment. The doors were numbered and Johanna was pleased to find that the layout of the place was fool proof.

"302... Here it is." Edward knocked on the door, his heart pounding. To say he was nervous was an understatement, the butterflies in his stomach wouldn't stop. He was was so close, all of his answers just beyond this door. Edward placed a nervous hand on the door knob, going to turn it.

"Edward!" Johanna hissed. He flinched, looking up at her. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot in disappointment. "Remember what happened the last time you opened someones door?!" Johanna shuddered, seeing Marcoh's gun in her face again.

"Johanna's right, brother. Maybe she isn't home?" Alphonse chimed in, remembering How Armstrong had chucked him. Edward shook his head.

"She has to be home!" Again Edward knocked, taking his hand off the knob. He didn't want to risk another lecture from Johanna.

"Help!" A very faint voice came from the other side. Johanna gasped, looking at Edward with wide eyes.

"That sounds like an invitation to me!" Edward told her matter of factly. He threw the door open, ready to make a mad dash, when suddenly he stopped. Cautiously, Johanna peaked around the door jam. The apartment was stacked, wall to wall, with books.

"Holy hell..." Johanna muttered, staring at them with wonder. Johanna liked to read, yeah, but she'd never considered herself a nerd until this point. The huge collection of books in front of her was beautiful nearly bringing a tear to her eye.

"There's a million of them..." Edward said, shocked. He'd never seen so many books in his entire life. The apartment was literally floor to ceiling with them.

"Help me!" The cry came again. Johanna pushed past Edward, diving into the sea of books in front of her.

"Johanna!" Edward tried to grab her wrist, but it was too late. Johanna didn't grasp how dangerous it could be. If someone knew about Cheska's knowledge, especially whoever it was who torched the library...

"Hello? Cheska?" Johanna called, pulling Edward from his thoughts.

"Is there really someone living in this place?" Brosch groaned as he followed Edward. Edward ignored him, his eyes focused on Johanna.

"Miss Cheska!" Johanna called again.

"Please help me!" The call came again, this time louder. Johanna paused and Edward froze, ready to grab her at any moment. "Please!" Johanna squinted, glancing down into another dark corridor.

It was faint, but in the darkness Johanna could make out a pile of nooks, something Johanna found odd considering how neatly stacked the rest were. Upon further inspection, however, Johanna realized it wasn't just a stack of books. Sticking out of the pile was a hand.

"Oh god!" Johanna cried, taking off down the hallway.

"Johanna!" Edward followed her, watching her kneel in front of a large pile. Johanna turned back to him, her eyes wide.

"Don't just stand there! Help me dig!" Johanna pleaded, tossing book after book to the side.

"What? Why?" he asked. The he saw it, the hand that sat precariously in the middle of the stack. "Oh... OH HELL! JOHANNA START DIGGING!"

* * *

Johanna was exhausted. A pile of books isn't that intimidating until you realized how many books it takes to completely bury and person. There were a lot of them, enough to keep the four of them digging for about ten minutes.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I got myself trapped under a mountain of books! I thought i was gonna suffocate!" Cheska babbled apologies over and over again. "Thank you so much!" She said again, grabbing Johanna's hand.

"Don't mention it." Johanna pish poshed, still winded. "Really, we were happy to help!"

"So, are you Cheska? Edward grumbled, pulling an open book off of his head. Cheska nodded, still looking like she was on the verge of tears. Apparently being trapped under a mountain of books can really take its toll on a person.

"Yes."

"And you worked at the library?" Edward continued. Cheska flinched, her eyes growing wide.

"Oh the library!" She shouted suddenly, catching Johanna off guard. Johanna jumped as Cheska flailed wildly in her arms. The woman began to go on and on about her loves of books, blushing and gushing like crazy. Johanna giggled, glanced over at Edward and Alphonse who watched Cheska, shocked. "I forgot that i was supposed to be working..." Cheska said sadly, coming down from her book high. "So the fired me! If I don't find another job I'll never be able to move my mother in to a better hospital!" Johanna frowned at Cheska as she told her story, sitting up straighter. It was sad, knowing that she had a parent who depended on her, a parent that Cheska could do nothing for.

"But I'm hopeless!" Cheska continued. "The only thing I can do is read! I'll never find another job as long as I live! I'M USELESS!" Johanna's eyes widened at Cheska's sudden outburst and she shared an uneasy look with the brothers. Cheska collapsed onto Johanna's lap, sobbing.

"Excuse me..." Edward said sheepishly while Cheska bawled into Johanna's thighs. The girl looked up, her tears gone, as curiosity replaced her woe. "There was something we wanted to ask you."

"Yes?"

"Do you remember seeing any research notes by Doctor Tim Marcoh?" Edward watched Cheska expectantly, the nervous butterflies returning to his stomach. Cheska scrunched her face, thinking hard on it and Edward glanced at Alphonse.

"Oh yes! I remember now!" Cheska grinned, clapping her hands together.

"Really?" Edward asked. Johanna grinned and Alphonse and Edward high five each other.

"I'm absolutely positive! There were some hand written notes stuffed into a book case where they didn't belong!"

"The notes really were there after all..." Johanna thought outloud. She felt her heart sink as the words sunk in. "Which means..."

"They birned up along with everything else in the library." Edward finished her sentence, his shoulders drooped. They were back to where they started!

"Did you want to read them?" Cheska asked innocently. Johanna nodded, placing a hand on each of the brother's backs.

"It's too late now." Edward sighed, standing up. "They're nothing but ashes."

"Sorry to bother you..." Alphonse apologized, following Edward's lead. Johanna frowned as they began making their way to the front door.

"I remember everything that was in them. Would that help at all?" Cheska said, a thoughtful finger on her chin. Edward froze, had he heard her correctly? "I'm able to remember the content of every book I've read. It make a take a few days, but I can write them out for you!" Suddenly Edward was in front of Edward and it was hi turn to gush.

"Oh thank you book worm!" He told her happily. Johanna shook her head, the boys were practically dancing a jig around Cheska's apartment. "You're my hero!"

"You're... welcome?" Cheska was taken back by their gratitude, these notes must have been very important.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm reposting this story from FanFiction.net to AO3. Debating on keeping it up on both sites, not sure yet.
> 
> Anyways, Welcome all!


End file.
